Happy Never After
by Johnlocksinthetardis
Summary: Small town girl Rose is seventeen, and just happens to meet Jack Frost, Winter spirit. The two connect, and in no time she finds herself head over heels for him. But the man in the moon forbids their romance, and Jack must make a choice. Be a Guardian and never see Rose again, or give up his life as a Guardian to be with her. What will he choose, his love or his life?
1. Chapter 1

Jack crouched on a branch, admiring his handy work. The streets were iced, the windows of every house frosted and a thick blanket of snow covered the ground. It was beautiful, everything was always white and glittery in Winter. Of course, it was always Winter somewhere, so he never really got to see anything other than these picturesque scenes. Still, he found that even after all this time he still loved it all.

"Not bad." He smiled to himself. His long white hair blew in the gentle breeze, and he couldn't help but laugh as he saw the kids playing in the snow, building forts and hitting each other with snowballs.

As his eyes roamed the street, he found himself drawn to one girl. She was sitting on a bench in the park, a fluffy white scarf wrapped around her neck and a panda hat on top of her head. The tops of her mittens were pinned back, and she was turning the pages of a book excitedly, like she couldn't wait to get to the end. Jack chuckled and stood up on the branch. Summoning the wind, he took a leap and landed a few metres behind her. She wrinkled her nose at the breeze, but otherwise was too engrossed in her book to turn around. Can't see me, then, he thought to himself. Jack shook his head and tried to shake away his thoughts. Of course she couldn't see him. Nobody really did, did they? In all his life, there'd only been a small group of children who could see him, and that was years ago. Jamie would be about thirty now. Plus the girl was about seventeen, she wouldn't believe in him anyway. Jack felt his smile disappear as he thought about that, and he tried desperately to drown out the negative thoughts. As he stared at her, he couldn't help but wonder _why_ he felt so upset she could't see him. Wasn't different to anyone else. Jack closed his eyes for a few seconds to shut his brain up. Once he felt a bit happier, he picked up a snowball and hit her on the back of the head with it, shooting up onto the nearest branch when she looked around for the culprit.

"What the? Who threw that?" Her accent was that of Dublin, broad and Irish. Her petite features were screwed up and mostly hidden by her scarf. She was average height, about 5"5, and her deep auburn hair fell in tight curls around her face. She wore blue-rimmed glasses and a light dusting of freckles covered her face. She wasn't obviously beautiful, but Jack couldn't help but think that she had a certain prettiness about her.

Laughing silently, he waved his staff and another snowball appeared on the branch next to him. He picked it up and blew on it, his icy breath casting a blue shimmer on it. "Me." Jack flung it at her, knocking the book out her hands and into the snow.

She cried out and bent to her knees, lifting the book back up and gently brushing the snow off it. After inspecting it and deciding it was okay, she let out a sigh of relief and stood up, cringing at her now wet jeans.

Jack landed softly behind her and tilted his head. "Sorry. I didn't mean to hit your book."

"You're just lucky you didn't ruin it." She said without turning round. She was still trying to flick bits of snow off her jeans. "If you did you'd be buying me a new one."

Jack gasped and stumbled back, looking around to make sure there was nobody behind him. Was she talking to him? Could she hear him_?_ "Can, can you...can you hear me?" He asked, his voice shaking.

She turned around and raised an eyebrow. "Yes. Obviously."

Jack gave a startled laugh and ran a hand through his hair. His eyes were wide with excitement; he never though someone would see him again. Did this mean everyone could see him now? Was he visible? Jack's head buzzed with questions- it was like Jamie all over again. "And you can definitely see me?"

The girl looked around warily. Was this a prank? "Um...yeah. Listen, you're kinda scaring me now so I'm just gonna go."

Jack reached around and grabbed her arm. "No! Wait, please! Don't go. Please."

The girl pulled free from his grasp and cradled her arm. "What the hell? Leave me alone! I'll scream! Don't think that I won't!" She stepped back and slipped on some ice, Jack catching her before she fell.

Jack chuckled nervously and helped her regain her balance. "I don't doubt that you will. But it won't do you much use. Nobody else can see me. Not unless they believe. Which they don't."

They girl looked at him with confusion on her face. Who was this weirdo? "What do you mean nobody else can see you? Are you high or something? Believe in what?"

Jack cracked a smile and took her hand. "Believe in Jack Frost."

The girl laughed and pulled her hand back. "Please, you don't look anything like Jack Frost. Isn't he like a tiny elf thing? I like your attempt though; the hair's cool. And the contacts are really awesome. But I still think you're on drugs."

Jack stepped back and looked at her in disgust. "I am _not_ an elf! Who said I was an elf? I bet it was Bunny! That little-" Jack bit his tongue. "He's so getting a blizzard at Easter again."

The girl stepped back and gave a awkward smile. "Yeah, well...good luck with the blizzard and all that. I'll see you later crazy person."

"Hey! Wait. I never got your name." Jack said, his hand on hers.

She shivered at his touch; his hand was like ice. His skin was smooth and pale, and as cold as the snow on the ground. She looked into his eyes again, smiling slightly at all the different shades of blue in his iris, all swirling together like the sky at night. His long white hair blew gently in the wind, and she suddenly felt self concious that he was looking at her so intently. For a crazy person, he sure was good looking. But still crazy. "Rose. My name's Rose."

Jack smiled and dropped her hand and bowed. "Jack Frost, at your service."

Rose scoffed. "So you've said. Now I really am going to go, now. Bye, whoever you are."

As she was walking away, Rose head his quiet voice, full of amusement. "What if I could prove it?"

Rose turned round and crossed her arms. "What?"

Jack leaned on his staff and smiled at her crookedly. "What if I could prove I'm Jack Frost?"

Rose laughed and dragged a hand down her face. She should leave, but she felt intrigued by this stranger. She didn't think he was going to hurt her, and if he did she could always scream. Finally, she gave in and walked back. "Fine. On you go then. Make it snow harder."

Jack grinned and waved his staff. More snow began to fall from the ground, rapidly adding to the already thick blanket of snow. "Easy."

Rose's eyebrows furrowed and she narrowed her eyes. It had to be chance. Or luck. Something else anyway, there's no way he couldn't done that himself, it's impossible.! "Okay. Make the snow stop."

"Fine." Jack used his staff again and the heavy snowfall ceased, then after a second picked up again.

"Ha! See, it started again. Liar!" Rose pointed out, nodding at Jack.

When she looked at him however, he wasn't standing any more. He was perched on top of his staff, his balance perfect. "Well, it wouldn't be fair to stop all the snow. Think of the kids."

"Oh my God, how did you get up there so fast? Is this a trick? How do you do that?"

Jack laughed and gave her a lopsided grin. "Because I'm magic. And this is my staff. Not in itself magical, but I like to keep it around any way."

"...Magic. Yeah, sure." Rose studied the staff, looking for hidden wires of poles. Her eyes scanned and scanned but she couldn't find anything. "Okay, seriously. How? Do something else, really prove it to me."

"I told you. I'm magic. I'm a guardian, I make snow days, I fight darkness every now and then and I'm friends with the Easter Bunny." Jack winked at her and jumped down from his staff next to Rose.

Rose let out a small snicker and immediately turned it into a cough. No way she was letting him think she had accepted him yet. "You're barefoot. What's that all about? And seriously, show me what you can do."

"Because I don't feel the cold. I could walk about stark naked and I still wouldn't feel a thing."

"Yeah, let's not do that..." Rose said, giving a quick smile.

Jack feigned shock and grabbed her hand. "Please, you'd like what you saw. So would tooth. And Bunny, definitely Bunny. Anyway, do you trust me?"

"No."

"Better start to. Because we're going for a ride." Jack grinned and grabbed her chin, looking into her soft Hazel eyes. They were hidden by the glasses, but now that he'd saw them he couldn't help but think how beautiful they were.

"Oh we are? Where?" She mocked, turning her face away.

Jack wrapped his hands around her waist and leaned in next to her ear. His breath tickled her ear, and she could feel herself yearning to lean into him. "Wrap your arms around my neck. Hold tight."

Rose laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pressed her body against his and shook her head. What was she doing? She'd never met this boy before in her life and yet here she was, pressed against him like some clingy girlfriend. She was also certain the guy was a pot-head, but still instead of running she stayed with him. Well done Rose, ignore all your instincts, she thought to herself. Just as she was about to pull back, she felt Jack jump, although instead of landing back down again, the wind seemed to be underneath them, keeping them afloat in the air. Jack clung to her protectively and urged the wind to push them further and faster, until they were into the forest. He set Rose down gently on a branch and kept himself afloat in front of her.

"Well? How was that?" He asked, looking at her.

Rose stood on the branch and clung to the thinning trunk of the tree. How the hell had she got up here? She was on the snow just a few seconds ago and- Whoosh! Suddenly she was here, with this mysterious boy floating in front of her effortlessly.

"Oh my God. What the hell just happened?" She panicked, her eyes wide. She searched for a foothold so she could get down, but it seemed the only way was to climb down or jump. She didn't really want to do either.

"You asked me to prove it. So I did. We flew, from the park to the forest. Could've taken you further, but I don't know how much humans can take on the one go." Jack considered this for a few seconds then smiled at her again, enjoying the whole experience.

"You're Jack Frost. You're actually Jack frost. Oh my God." Rose muttered to herself, staring at him wondrously.

"The one and only." Jack smiled and landed softly next to her. He pulled her hat off, unleashing all her auburn curls. Her hair was long and shiny, and Jack loved it already. Jokingly, he placed the panda hat on his own head and waved his staff, causing tiny flakes of snow to fall around them alone.

"I just met and flew with Jack Frost. That's just...wow. Is this a trick? Am I dreaming?" Rose looked at him and poked his chest, to see if he was real.

Jack grabbed her hand and held it in his. "How many times do I have to prove it's a trick? I'm real. Just as much as you are. I'm over three hundred years old, and I'm the spirit of Winter. I'm incredibly talented. And handsome."

"And modest." Rose shook her head and studied him intently. He looked real. He felt real. But he only looked seventeen, how could he be over three hundred? "Three hundred years old...but you still look young. How?"

"I'm immortal. I died in my human life when I was seventeen. Then the man in the moon picked me to become the spirit of Winter and well...here we are."

"The man in the moon? What exactly is a guardian? Why can only I see you?" Rose's head buzzed with questions; Jack was a complete puzzle, one she absolutely had to solve.

"Wow, slow down there. One question at a time," He laughed and gave her hand a squeeze. "Look, I have to go. Winter-y things to do and such, got to go give Scotland a storm. Might as well give Russia an ice day, too. But I'll be back tomorrow, okay? I'll answer all your questions then. Meet me at the bench again, I'll be there. I promise."

Rose went to answer, but lost her footling and slipped. She screamed as she fell, bracing herself for the impact of the ground, but instead she felt Jack's strong arms catch her instead. He grinned and set her upright, checking her over quickly.

"It would be nice if you wouldn't, you know, die before then." He said, handing her back her hat.

Rose sank against him and took a shaky breath, glad to feel his arms wrap around her. She had no idea why she felt so drawn to him. He was a spirit, immortal. She should run. She should pretend she never saw him. That would be the logical thing, nobody would believe her if she told them about Jack. But there was a nagging voice in her head telling her that logic is stupid. She listened to that voice and ignored logic. Tilting her head up, she looked at Jack's face again. The more she stared, the more beautiful it became, and she found herself leaning up on her tip toes. Jack put a hand on the small of her back, and Rose felt herself being pulled closer. His head bent down to hers, but just before their lips touched she panicked and stopped him. "Where's my book?"

Jack leaned back and raised his eyebrow. "What?"

"My book. Where is it?"

"Oh. Here." Jack took the frayed book out from his jumper pocket and studied the cover. "The Faults In Our Stars. Old book, isn't it?"

"Old, but amazing. Thankyou." Rose took the book from his hands and hugged it to her chest, blushing furiously.

"Must be if it's more important than the moment we were having there." Jack joked, leaning on his staff again.

Rose's cheeks deepened and she scowled at him, resisting the urge to stick her tongue out. "We were _not_ having a moment."

"Oh come on, we totally were. You were going to kiss me!" Jack laughed and pointed his staff at Rose, grinning when she tried to swat it away.

"Do you mistake all contact with you as flirting?" Rose snipped at him, trying to avert his gaze. She had a feeling if she looked into those ice blue eyes she'd be staring all day.

"Oh, that _wasn't_ you going to make a move? Man, I must be behind on the times. Last time I checked that counted as flirting. My mistake." Laughing, Jack jumped lightly and landed behind her, staring her right in the face as she went to turn.

"Shut up." Rose gave in and laughed, pushing him back gently. His hoodie was almost the same brilliant shade of blue as his eyes, and frost covered the shoulders and sleeves.

Jack opened his palm to reveal a large snowflake, the detail so intricate that Rose gasped. Jack lifted it to his mouth and blew on it, a blue shimmer glowing over it. "There," he said. "Now it won't melt. Keep it."

"Jack...it's beautiful. Thankyou, really." Rose smiled and lifted it gently, holding it in her palm.

"I wonder why you can see me? Like, we shouldn't even be able to do this right now. Are you definitely human? 'Cos this is pretty weird, for someone of your age to be able to communicate with me. You're special."

"Hey, all questions answered tomorrow, remember? Now go give Russia that ice day. I'll be here tomorrow, at the bench. I promise."

Jack gave her a lopsided smile and Rose felt her heart skip. "Till then, Rose."

"Farewell, Jack Frost, Spirit of Winter." Rose gave a grin and revealed two deep dimples, one on each cheek.

Jack winked and summoned the winds to carry him. In less than three seconds, he was gone, and the only thing that remained was the snowflake sitting in her palm. As she looked at it, Rose felt her lips pull into a smile. No mater what else happened from now on, no matter how old she got, she'd never forget this day. This was the day she realised something about herself. Something huge, that could change her life.

She had a crush on Jack Frost.


	2. Chapter 2

Rose looked at her face in the mirror and tugged at her hair, trying to keep it in place. She had ear muffs on today instead of a hat, and she'd tried to dress nicer than yesterday. She wanted to look good, but casual, not like she was trying too hard. Groaning in frustration, Rose fluffed out her hair, but it still looked wild. The deep auburn stuck out against her pale face, and Rose wished she had more colour. She pinched her cheeks to make them rosy and, finally satisfied, nodded her head and walked into the living room to get her coat. Her brother David sat on the couch, flicking through the channels uninterested. His hair was messy and blonde, and his skin was tan. He was like the opposite to her, and she remembered he used to tease her she was adopted when they were little. Rose smiled at the memory and touched him on the head lightly as she walked by.

"Morning."

David yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Morning. Where you going?"

"Out. You should have a shower and brush your hair, you look homeless." Rose joked, pulling on her coat.

"Shut up, I'm twenty, I don't need you to baby me. I'm mature now."

"You live on pot noodles."

"As all mature people do, Rose. You will understand one day, when you reach adulthood." David nodded matter-of-factly.

"All right, whatever you say. I'm going now, I'll be home soon."

"I hope you slip on the ice." David said lovingly, smiling at his sister.

Rose scoffed and flung a cushion at him. "Yeah, thanks."

Chuckling, David turned back to the television. Rose smiled, wrapped her scarf around her neck and headed out the door.

She crunched through the snow, leaving a trail of footprints behind her. The streets were iced, and the bare trees had a thin layer of snow on them, sparkling in the weak sun like glitter. She smiled, the sound of young children laughing filling her ears. She remembered when she and David used to go out and play in the snow, back when they were younger. She smiled faintly and the memory and continued walking towards the park. It was bustling with families and children, all playing gleefully in the snow. All around her were snow angels and snow men, and snowballs flew across the air rapidly. The more she looked at it all the more she thought of Jack. She hoped he'd meet her. She hoped it wasn't just a dream, or a hallucination. Rose sighed a little and sat down on the bench, worries swirling around in her head like a whirlwind. Was she crazy, to wait for someone who might not even be real? Why did she even come back? Was any of it true? Rose rubbed her temple and made herself take a few breaths to calm down. He'd be here. He promised. She pulled out the snowflake from her pocket and twiddled it around in her fingers. Jack was right, it still hadn't melted. Looking round, she felt her heart sink a little when she couldn't see Jack. Give him a little time, she told herself. He never actually specified when he'd be here. She'd just have to be patient. She sat on that bench until the sky began to turn dark, and the park was quickly emptying. She tried to keep herself entertained by listening to music. Rose tried not to think about him, but she was nervous; why hadn't he shown up yet? The park was now completely empty, and the sky was like a dark blue blanket on top of the stars. Rose started up and it and cursed. She genuinely thought he'd be here, and yet here she was, all alone.

"I'm such an idiot..." She whispered to herself, holding the snowflake in her fingers.

"Oh?" Said a familiar voice behind her. "And why is that?"

Rose whirled round and gasped, a smile appearing on her face. "Jack! You came!"

"Of course I came." He said smoothly, sitting down next to her. He plucked the earmuffs off her head and studied them before, uninterested, flinging them aside. "I never break a promise."

Rose bowed her head and averted his gaze. "I thought you weren't going to come. I thought I'd imagined it all yesterday."

Jack's cold finger lifted her chin up. His bright blue eyes stared into hers and he gave a smile. "Nope. Still here."

"I sat here for hours! I came here at twelve and it's now nine, I waited for you. I'm freezing, and hungry and my phone has no charge and-" Rose broke away and took a deep breath and blinked a few times. Don't get emotional, she scolded herself.

Jack tilted his head and looked at her. "You must _really _like me, if you waited that long."

Rose felt her face grow red. "I, no I just, oh I, Goddamnit! Not everyone likes you, you know."

Jack floated up above her and smiled. "I beg to differ."

Rose tried to scowl at him, but she found the corners of her lips turn up instead. She couldn't stay mad at him. "So why did you come so late? I was just about to leave."

"I told you, I'm a busy guy. Winter never stops, I always have to be somewhere. Besides, I wanted to come when you were alone. That was you wouldn't look crazy talking to yourself since, you know, nobody else can see me." Jack gave her that lopsided smile and Rose felt her heart skip. He had a _really_ cute smile.

"Oh, how considerate of you." She joked, looking up at him. His white hair glistened in the moonlight, and made his eyes pop even more.

Jack gave her a grin. "One of my many charms, along with being extremely handsome, of course."

"Do you realise you mention how handsome you are every time we meet? Modesty is clearly your biggest attribute." Rose laughed and stood up, carefully putting the snowflake in her shirt pocket.

"Obviously." Jack took her hand and floated higher, making her stretch onto her tip toes. "Now if I remember correctly, this was a night was questions. I have some to ask."

Rose smiled and spoke, her breath coming out in a puff of smoke in the cold night air. "Shoot."

"You have an Irish accent. Right now we're in Alaska. Care to explain?" Jack asked, dropping back down in front of her.

He still hadn't let go of Rose's hand, and she felt her brain turn to mush as she tried to speak. "Oh...erm, we uh, we moved here when I was five."

"Why haven't I seen you before?" Jack asked, tightening his grip on his staff. Rose couldn't help but feel he had a slightly hypnotic effect on her. Whenever he spoke to her, all she could think about was the butterflies in her stomach, flying around madly. Words just seemed to come out her mouth of their own accord.

"Well, just after we moved here we discovered that I had cancer. I was only five. I was weak, and ill, and my parents didn't know what was wrong with me. I couldn't keep anything down, and most days I had no idea what was going on. I don't really remember it well at the start. Just the pain. They took me to the hospital, and that's when they found out I had cancer. I was battling Leukaemia for about five years when I was younger. It kept coming back, so I wasn't really allowed to go outside much. It wasn't safe. When I finally beat it I was ten. And then... my parents." Rose felt her eyes water up, as if she was reliving the memory. She knew she was speaking, but her own voice seemed distant to her own ears. Why was she telling him all this?

"What about them?"

"Well, my mam and dad were in a car accident a year after I was given the all-clear. My dad didn't make it. My mam... she hit her head pretty hard. Was in a coma for months, I never really left her side. Me and my brother went to stay with our aunt back in Ireland, since she was our next of kin. I was only eleven at the time and David was thirteen. We, well really she, made the decision to let my mam go. After that, we just stayed with my aunt for seven years. Now my brother and I, we decided to come back. As much as we love Ireland, most of our memories with her are here. And...I miss her. I want to remember her." Rose realised she'd blabbed it all out before she could stop herself. She cursed mentally and felt tears clog the back of her throat as she fought to keep herself calm. Why did she tell him everything? She didn't want his pity. She didn't need anyone's pity, not even Jack Frost's.

Jack stared at Rose and pulled her in for a hug. There was no joking tone to his voice, and he held her tightly. "I am so, so sorry."

Rose shivered at his touch and immediately she felt Jack retreat. "No." She held onto him. "It's okay. Please."

Jack gave in and pulled her in again, his face resting against her hair. "I'm really sorry. I had no idea..."

Rose sighed and clutched his hoodie in her fists. "You couldn't have known. I don't tell anyone any more. All I get is 'I'm sorry' or 'oh, you poor thing', and I'm sick of it. It's so fake, when they say it you know? Empty. They all say they understand, that they can sympathise. But they can't can they? They don't understand... you can't just say sorry and expect it to actually help me. It's not going to bring them back. It's not going to help me. Because they just don't get it. Nobody does. It's all lies. Lies laced with pity, for the poor children who lost their parents. For the poor girl who beat cancer then had her mam and dad taken away. And...I'm sick of pity, Jack. All I want is someone who actually understands. Who knows what it feels like."

Rose felt Jack pull back. He looked her straight in the eyes, his own eyes swirling with pain. He took her hand and gave it a squeeze of empathy. "I do."

"What?" Rose looked at him and felt her heart ache. The look of sorrow on his face was so painful to see that it made Rose want to hug him and comfort him there and then.

"I never got to see my sister again. When I was human, I took her out ice skating on the frozen lake near our cottage. But the ice was thin that year, and she got stuck...the ice around her began to crack and she was terrified. I tried to keep her calm by pretending it was a game of hopscotch, we used to play that all the time." Jack gave a faint smile. "I used my staff to pull her away, but I ended up falling in instead. It was so cold, like a thousand knives stabbing me all over. I couldn't move, couldn't swim to the surface. I could almost feel myself dying...Of course, that's when the man in the moon turned me into Jack Frost. He was the very last thing I saw before I blacked out. He made me feel safe, and the pain stopped. But when I woke up, I couldn't find my sister. I didn't know how long has passed, I didn't even know I had a sister. I never looked for her, never remembered her, at least not until about twenty years ago. But I always wish that I remembered her. I feel like I lost her, like I never got to see the woman she turned out to be. But I'm glad I saved her. I'll never regret that." Jack smiled at Rose and waved his hand, causing a light dusting of snow to fall on top of her.

Rose smiled at him, glad to see that joyful look return to his eyes. She felt better, like a weight had been lifted from her. All she wanted was someone who understood, and Jack had come pretty close. "I'm sure your sister became a beautiful young woman, Jack. And I'm sure she never forgot her amazing, loving big brother. Now please stop making it snow on top of me."

Jack grinned, held out his hand and the snow stopped. "Such a bore, you don't even appreciate my talents."

"Yeah well can I appreciate them inside? Seriously, visit me at my house next time. It's a little bit freezing out here."She laughed, hugging her arms to herself.

Jack floated behind her and laughed. "Is it? I can't tell."

"Oh, shut up." Rose laughed too and pushed him gently.

Jack spun back round to face her, his hair swishing with the movement. "You still haven't explained why you can see me. Only people who believe can see me."

"My dad said he knew all of you. The Guardians, or whatever. He used to tell me and my brother about you guys every night before we went to bed. Just some silly fairytale to us. You were always his favourite. He'd say he met you guys when he was eight, when pitch black was trying to take over. I used to think he was crazy, that it was just his imagination. Or just a story for the kids you know? I know It's weird that I can see you, because that means I have to believe. When I was younger, I believed him. I guess now it's because...well, after he died, they were all I had left of him. And even though I thought they were a load of rubbish the older I got, I still loved the way he told them. See, my mam, I had her dresses, her jewellery, her scrapbooks and recipes and enough photos of us to fill an art gallery. But my dad, I didn't really have anything of him. Neither did David. All we were left with was the stories he told us, the stories of the Guardians and how they saved the world. And I always felt that if I stopped believing, if I forgot those stories, It'd be like forgetting him. And I don't want to do that. So I put them to the back of my mind, just a distant memory. I might've forgotten some names and appearances, but I guess I still believe." Rose's voice was soft and she looked ahead.

Jack's voice was quiet and detached, like he'd just had the most horrible thought. "Rose...what was your dad's name?"

"Jamie. Jamie Bennett. Why?" She looked at him with confusion on her face, why was that important?

Jack dropped his staff and sat down in a daze. No, it couldn't be. He refused to believe it; maybe there was a mix up. Two Jamie Bennetts? Something,anything. It couldn't be real, it just couldn't. Snow and wind were whirling round him, creating a tiny blizzard just for himself. Jack stared ahead, trying to contemplate it. Jamie was dead. His Jamie...gone. Forever. The first child to ecer see him. Jack closed his eyes and clenched his fists, trying to fight back the sadness that seemed to engulf him. He couldn't believe it, it couldn't be true, could it? He could faintly hear Rose calling his name, but he couldn't even look at her right now. The more he fought to stay calm, the more the storm around him picked up. Shards of ice where flying round now too, adding to the mini blizzard. Suddenly, Rose was in front of him, shaking his shoulders. He gasped and blinked, noticing the destruction whirling around him. Quickly, he picked up his staff and held it up, calming the blizzard around him. He'd let his emotions get out of control; something he wasn't supposed to do. "Rose...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that, it just happens when-"

Rose hugged him tightly and gave a feeble laugh. "It's okay, it's okay. Don't worry about it."

Jack stared at her sadly and intertwined his fingers with hers. "Thank you. I just-I didn't know Jamie died. I, I never expected it. He was like my brother, even now. When I knew Jamie he didn't live here, he lived-"

"Near Michigan, I know. He met my mam when he was seventeen, in 2021. She was nineteen, and David was one by then. But still my dad fell in love with her, and he took on David as his own son really. They were head over heels for each other, and when they found out my mam was pregnant with me a year later they both moved back to Ireland. Eventually they moved here and well... you know the story from there on. If it makes it any easier, he really did idolise you. He'd always talk about you and... Bunnymund, was it? He loved you all, especially you, Jack. You made his childhood. Even I could realise that, story or not. So, thankyou, for making my dad happy." Rose squeezed his hand and placed her thumb under his eye, catching a tear before it fell.

Jack closed his eyes. When he opened them he gave her a small smile and caught her hand in his. This girl had been through so much, and yet here she was comforting him. "I should be thanking him."

"Why is that?"

"Because he gave me you."

Before she could reply, or even ask him about any of her questions, Jack placed an ice cold kiss on her forehead. Rose opened her mouth to call his name, but when she looked around she realised he was gone and all that remained was a little gust of wind. There wasn't even an imprint of where he'd sat, it was like he was invisible. Someone for her only. Giddily, she picked up her earmuffs from the snow and smiled.

"One of these days, Jack Frost," She said determinedly. "One of these days you'll spend a whole night with me. I'll make sure of it."


	3. Chapter 3

Rose placed her forehead against her window and heavy a weary sigh. Seven days. A whole week since she last saw Jack. 168 hours, 10, 080 minutes and 604,800 seconds. Not that she was counting. Why hadn't he come to see her? He said he was going to. Well, he didn't actually say it, but Rose assumed he would. Why wouldn't he? He'd seen her twice already. What was wrong that he couldn't come now? Maybe he didn't like her. What if he'd just ditched her, and went on to live without her? He wouldn't do that, would he? They'd just met, but she knew she had a connection with him. She thought so. What if she was wrong? Was she being clingy? Maybe she should play hard to get, like in the movies. Rose groaned and rubbed her head; why did she over think everything? Jack never took anything seriously, he was probably in Antarctica or something sticking kids' tongues to lampposts. He would come though. He'd be here. She hoped he would anyway. Her brother had noticed how strange she was acting, always at her window, never coming down for dinner or to watch television. "Why do you stay up there all day?" He'd ask her. Rose would never properly answer him- how would he react if she told him the truth? _Oh, you know. I'm just waiting on an immortal seventeen year old winter spirit. As you do. _The sky outside was turning dark already, the slight glint of stars beginning to glow. Soon to be eight days, then. Rose turned away from the window disdainfully and stood up, making her way towards the bathroom. She turned the shower on, took her glasses off and dropped her clothes, glad to feel the hot water against her sore muscles. It covered her, soaking her hair so it fell long and straight down her back. She ran the shampoo and conditioner through her hair, before washing it out carefully. After a few more minutes under the hot water, she turned it off and stepped out, wrapping a soft towel around her body. She hastily grabbed her glasses and walked out back into her bedroom to change. She dried herself and, dropping the towel, rooted around to find underwear and pyjamas. She pulled out a turquoise bra and pants and quickly put them on, then just as quickly pulled on a tank top and shorts. Her hair was still wet and tangled, so she grabbed her brush and pulled it through a few times until her hair lay soft against her back, dripping onto the floor.

"Now...hair dryer or towel? Towel makes it frizzy, hair dryer makes it straighter...Hair dryer it is then."

"Shame, I like the curls." Jack's cool voice came from behind her, and she could almost hear the smile in it.

"Jack!" Rose exclaimed, clutching a hand to her heart. It was beating like mad, he gave her quite the fright.

Jack sat propped against her window ledge, one leg dangling carelessly into her room. "That would be me."

"Hey!" Rose bounded up and awkwardly wrapped an arm around him before blushing and pulling away. "Oh, sorry."

Jack smiled and tapped his fingers against his staff. "It's fine, Hi. You're very excited to see me, I assume?"

"Well, yeah!" Rose blushed further. "I mean, it's been a week."

Jack eyebrows raised in shock. "Really? A week? I thought it'd been about two days. My mistake, sorry."

"How couldn't you tell it'd been a week? I've been waiting and waiting, I nearly gave myself a haemorrhage trying to decide whether to wait here or at the park." Rose cracked a smile and crossed her arms.

Jack tilted his head and smiled briefly. "It doesn't matter where you go, I'll always be able to find you."

"Jack Frost power?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

_Boy with a crush, more like. _Jack shook his head and grinned. "Yeah, Jack Frost power."

Rose nodded thoughtfully before pinning him with her eyes. "Hey, wait. What about the time thing? Does time go really slow for you? Am I in slow motion? Or does it go really quickly?"

Jack chuckled and shook his head, making her cheeks tinge pink. "No, it goes the same for me as it does for you. It's just because I'm always stuck in the season of winter. It gets a bit hard trying to judge time after a while when your surroundings always look the same."

"Oh. Cool." Rose smiled and stepped back. "Wanna come inside?"

Jack gave her a devilish grin. "Nah, you like me too much. You'd just end up trying to kiss me if we were in the same room for long enough."

Rose rolled her eyes and poked him square in the chest. "Of course," she said, making her eyes wide with feigned devotion. "How will I _ever _manage to control myself around you?"

Jack laughed heartily and rested his chin on the cure of his staff. "It takes skill, we'll take it slow. Don't want you fainting on me."

Rose shot Jack a grin and winked. She walked towards him, then stopped, putting a hand on her head. She let out a cry and fell back, her eyes closed. Jack shot from the window behind her, his strong arms catching her before she hit the floor.

"Rose! You okay?" Jack's ice blue eyes were filled with worry, checking her over.

Rose opened her eyes and giggled, soon turning into loud laughter. She was shaking and she found herself wrapping an arm around Jack's neck. "My my, Mr Frost. You _do_ make me swoon."

Jack smile grew as he realised he was tricked. "Oh, you clever girl. That was good. I never thought you had that side to you."

Rose tilted her head up and smirked. "I have many sides to me. Stick around and you might just see them all."

"Tempting offer. I might just have to start making nightly visits." Jack laughed and set her down gently, keeping a strong grip on his staff. He could see the goosebumps on her arms and legs where he had touched her, and felt his smile fade for a second. Why was everything about him just so...cold?

"That doesn't sound desperate at all." Rose's voice was laced with amusement, she always found herself becoming playful and happy when she was around Jack. His hands ignited a trail of fire on her skin, and she wished she could be in his arms again.

"Weekly then. Feel lucky, I don't visit anyone else, you know." Jack nodded matter-of-factly. Ice had started to spread across Rose's dark blue carpet, and it was beginning to look like Jack's jumper.

"That's because nobody else can see you." She shot back, sitting on the edge of her bed. In all honesty, she did feel special that only she could see him.

Jack waved his hand and a snowball appeared in it, glowing white. "Oh, harsh. That calls for punishment."

Rose saw the snowball and backed up, pulling her covers up like a shield. "Jack! Don't you dare! I'm serious! Don't throw- AH!"

Jack pelted her in the face with the snowball and floated into the air, laughing so hard he had to clutch his stomach. His staff was leaning against the wall, frost spreading out like ivy on a house.

Rose wiped the snow off her face and giggled, flicking it towards him. "I hate you."

Jack gave her a huge smile and turned upside down, so his hair was flopping in all directions. Rose desperately wanted to touch it, to see if it was as smooth as it looked. Everything about Jack was smooth, smooth and cool. His skin was as white as the snow that covered the ground, and was free of blemishes. His eyes were huge and ice blue, and they seemed to swirl and sparkle like pools reflecting the moonlight. Rose felt her cheeks blush as she realised she was staring.

"You are such a child." She tutted, giving him a dimpled smile.

Without warning, scooped her up and flew to the top of her room, making Rose squeal in delight. He felt her hands wrap around his neck and his lips stretch into a smile of their own accord. He couldn't deny it; being with Rose made him happy. Truly happy. "What's the point in being 300 if I can't be childish sometimes? Besides, I'm the Guardian on fun."

"What exactly is a Guardian?" She asked, smiling up at him. His jawline was smooth and he had a content look upon his face.

"A Guardian, in the simplest explanation, is someone who protects and looks after children. We all have a centre: wonder, dreams, fun, hope, etcetera... And it's these things we protect in children. Without their beliefs, we'd all lose our powers. Change back into what we were before we became a Guardian."

"How are you still here? You said not a lot of people believe in you." Rose looked at him worriedly, biting her lip.

Jack gave her a sad smile. "I guess you could say I sponge a bit off the other Guardian's. I use their power as well as my own. Besides, as long as I keep icing things and doing my job as Jack Frost, I'll be fine. Honest."

Rose lay her head against Jack's chest and pulled at his jumper absent-mindedly. "I'll always believe in you. Will I ever meet the other Guardians?"

Jack smiled fondly at Rose, lying happily in his arms. "Thankyou. And maybe one day. Not right now. It's not the right time just now."

"You're not sure if I'm important enough yet."

"No, it's-"

"It's alright." Rose gave a chuckle and yawned. "I don't mind. If I get to meet them then that's great, if I don't then at least I still have you."

Jack floated back down and sat rose on her bed, pulling the covers over her body. "Yeah. Not many people can say that."

Rose grinned and snuggled into her pillow, closing her eyes sleepily. Her words were slow and detached, and the darkness of sleep was overcoming her. "Stay with me."

Jack sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Rose, you know I can't." _But God do I want to._

"Please?"

Jack's resolve nearly crumbled at her plead, but he managed to keep himself steady. "No, Rose. Not tonight."

Not exactly a no_. _Good. Rose hugged her owl teddy to her chest and gave a tiny smile, almost invisible. "I thought you'd say that. Goodnight, Jack."

"Goodnight."

Jack's cool lips on her cheek were the last thing she felt before sleep took over.


	4. Chapter 4

Jack was perched on a branch outside Rose's window, a smile upon his lips. She was dressed simply, in a check shirt and light blue jeans. Her auburn curls fell down her back like the waves of a waterfall, swaying with her every movement. Jack really loved her hair, whenever he saw it he just wanted to play with it, run his hands through it; it was too pretty to be left alone. Rose hadn't noticed him yet, and she was dancing round her room, using the hairbrush she was pulling through her hair as a microphone. She was uncoordinated as she danced, tripping over her own feet, but she didn't seem to mind. In fact, it only spurred her on, and she put even more energy into leaping around her room. As a guitar solo blasted from her speakers, Rose head banged and mimicked shredding a guitar. A snicker escaped from Jack mouth, quickly turning into a hysterical laugh as Rose turned round and saw him. Rose walked up to the window and opened it, letting Jack sit on the ledge. Her cheeks were red, but Jack didn't know if it was from embarrassment or from the dancing. Probably a bit of both.

"Oh man, that was..." Jack wiped a tear from his eyes and hugged his stomach. "That was brilliant. I never knew you could dance like that. Or should I say, not-dance. No,wait that doesn't sound right...either way you're quite clumsy."

Rose's dimpled showed as her lips upturned into a smile. "I've never been very good at dancing. Doesn't stop me doing it."

"Can't you Irish dance?"

Rose glared at him. "Are you suggesting every Irish person knows how to Irish dance?"

Jack put two hands up and grinned. "No, not at all. I was simply wondering if _this-" _Jack poked her in the arm. "-Irish girl knew how to dance."

Rose ran a hand through her hair. "Well, no. Never learned. Can you?"

Jack winked at her mischieviously. "Oh, I know every dance."

"You do? Prove it."

"Fine." Jack jumped down lightly and stepped in front of her, putting a hand on her waist and entwining his fingers with hers. "Care for a waltz?"

"I would _love_ to." Rose said happily.

Setting his staff against the wall, Jack stepped round her floor smoothly, his feet moving so quickly it looked as if he was floating. Rose was struggling to keep up, her feet trailing and occasionally stepping on his. Jack tutted and spun her round, grinning at the bewildered look in her eyes. The song had changed to Paloma Faith, the soft piano music complementing them perfectly. Rose tripped and fell against him, giggles shaking her body. Jack laughed and moved both his hands to her waist, helping her stand up straight.

"Well," he said, casting an eye over her. "Waltz is not your strong point. Seven times you stepped on my feet, you know that?"

"I never said I was good at it. I just said I liked to dance. Can you rock out, Mr Frost?"

Jack's eyebrow raised and he pursed his lips. Mr Frost. He liked that. "Oh, yeah."

"Excellent. Let me just put on a song then, shall I?" Rose bounded away and fiddled with her phone, until she found the right song. When the music started playing, she flashed Jack a smile. "Highschool Never Ends, by Bowling for Soup."

"That's an old song. Do you even listen to current music?" Jack said twiddling with a newly made snowflake.

"No, old music is the best. All this new stuff...it's completely crap. Now, I'm going to jump on my bed and play an invisible guitar. You may join me if you wish, or you can be boring and watch."

Jack waved his fingers and the snowflake landed delicately on Rose's nose, making her twitch. "How could I refuse? An offer like this doesn't come up that often."

"Hurry up, then." Rose dismissed him with that sentence and began to jump on her bed, again using the brush as a microphone. She was seconds later joined by jack, who was jumping with her, laughing at the pure joy on her face. He didn't really know if Rose knew how to have fun. It seemed she was holding out on him. Rose whirled round at pointed at him, shaking her head madly.

"The whole damn world is just as obsessed with who's the best dressed and who's having sex! Who's got the money? who's gets the honey? Who's kinda cute and who's just a mess?" She belted it out, grabbing Jack's hand in hers.

Jack grinned and squeezed in tightly, jumping about madly with her. He crouched down low and shot up into a backflip, landing as light as a feather. Rose blew her fringe out of her eyes and kept singing, her eyes lighting up with amusement. Jack winked at her and placed his hands on her waist before leaping up , using the wind from the open window to keep them afloat. Rose gave a small cry of surprise and looped her arms around Jack's neck, before giving him a grin. Jack's lips spread into a smile as he stared at her. She had the most beautiful smile, with rosy lips and deep dimples in her cheeks. Jack figured he'd do anything to see that smile. Her soft hazel eyes stared into his, flecks of green emerging from the brown. They were framed with long thick lashes, and when she blinked they brushed across her cheek slightly. Jack gave a gentle sigh and tilted his head. She really was beautiful, the light dusting of freckles covering her ivory skin. As his multi-shade eyes looked into hers, Rose felt her heart beat faster. She wished he wouldn't look at her so intensely, it always made her think he was looking at her ugly freckles. Or her big nose. Perhaps her crazy-white skin. Or hey, maybe her disgusting shade of eyes. There really was no shortage of faults for him to spot. Rose was suddenly aware that Jack's hands were still on her waist, and she could feel her body press against his, almost against her own will. She didn't wan't to feel so drawn to him, but she couldn't help it. Whenever she was around him, something inside her just changed. She felt comfortable with him, like he was a childhood friend she'd known all her life. He seemed to bring out a different side of her, one that wasn't afraid to take risks. One that let her walls down.

"Jack..." She started, before Jack interrupted her.

"Don't. You're going to say something that will ruin this moment. Again." Jack whispered, his hands tightening against her waist.

When she tried to protest, Jack tilted his head back and blew out a stream of icy cold breath, which transformed into a thousand tiny snowflakes, falling all around them. When some landed on Rose's glasses, she took them off and flung them down on her bed. She couldn't care less if they broke or not, Jack was the only thing in her mind. A voice seemed to be in her mind, telling her to stop this. That it was wrong. Her and Jack, they could never work. So she might as well quit now before she gets hurt. As much as she tried to ignore it, the niggling voice only got louder, until it felt like someone was whispering in her ear. _Stop this, it's wrong._

Jack's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "Do you like them?"

"Yes. They're beautiful." She said quietly, looking at all the delicately made snowflakes still swirling all around them.

_So are you_. Jack wanted to say the words, but they seemed to get stuck in his throat. He hadn't ever had this feeling before, this feeling he got with Rose. She made his heart flutter, and sometimes he swore she almost brought warmth to his icy cold body. So instead, he nodded and smiled gently, his emotions making the snowflakes soar into the air twirling.

Rose's soft brown eyes stared into his like she was in a daze. He was, for lack of a better word, beautiful. His snowy white hair and pearly skin only made his eyes shine brighter. His iris seemed to always be moving, churning with emotion. The blues swirled and blended together, like all the shades of the sky. They seemed to stare right into hers, and she felt her knees go weak.

Leaning into Jack more, she tilted her head up and parted her lips. Her conscience was going crazy, telling her everything that was wrong with this.

Jack smiled, his hand moving up her back. His heart was beating a thousand miles a minute, like a hummingbird trapped in a ribbed cage. This was it, he was finally going to get to kiss her. He yearned for the feeling of her lips on his and shakily he leaned down and parted his own lips slightly.

Just as Jack's lips were about to touch hers, Rose pulled her hand from his neck and placed it on his chest, stopping him. The voice, her conscience, was right. This was wrong, there was no way she could do this! Kissing meant getting attached, and getting attached meant getting hurt. Besides, she and Jack could never work. Nobody else could see him, and he wasn't human. It just couldn't happen. Sadly, Rose forced a quiet voice out. "Jack, no. Not tonight, please. Put me down."

Jack drew back, a slightly aghast look on his face. His iris' were churning, and she wasn't quite sure if it was anger or confusion. He started at her, boring in to her with those icy eyes so intensely she looked away and squirmed. Jack sighed and forced a smile, but it barely passed for a smile. "Yeah, sure. Sorry."

Jack floated gently and set her down, removing his hands from her waist. Rose realized her arm was still looped around his neck and she quickly de-tangled herself, cheeks blazing. She shoved her hands in her pocket, before taking them out and wringing them nervously. Rose jumped off the bed and walked to window, grabbing Jack's staff on the way. He walked towards her slowly, his feet dragging. He was obviously trying hard to keep the smile on his face, and as he reached for the staff Rose hugged him, wanting desperately to make him happy again.

"I'm so sorry, Jack. Really, I am. I just, I'm not ready yet. This is a big decision and I'll need time to think about it."

Jack pulled back and forced a laugh, trying to lighten the mood. "Hey, that's fine. I can wait. In fact, I've got nothing but time."

Rose put a hand of his cheek and bit her lip. "Look, just because I said no today doesn't mean I'm always going to say no. It's just...there's so many things-"

Jack put his hand over hers and smiled sadly. "It's fine. I get it."

"Okay." Rose took her hand away and stepped back to give Jack more room. "I'll, um...will I see you later? Or-"

"Um, yeah. Yeah, you can't get rid of me that easily." Jack cracked a smile and jumped out her window, soaring into the night.

Rose stared at the spot he was standing in seconds before and whispered, "Goodnight, Jack."

She didn't know if he was coming back. She hoped he was; she still wanted him as a friend. He was her only friend here, she didn't want to loose him. Her head was pounding, and she wished she knew exactly what she wanted. Whenever she was around Jack, she wanted to be with him. It felt right, like he was her missing puzzle piece. But then her mind would start thinking again, and all the worries and bad thoughts plagued her until she just didn't feel happy anymore. Rose picked up a snowflake and twiddled it in her fingers. He sure did like snowflakes.

"Oh, Jack," She said, setting the snowflake back down. "What am I going to do?"

Rose closed her eyes and rubbed her temples trying to clear her mind. She had no idea what she was going to do, but she hoped whatever she picked was the right decision.


	5. Chapter 5

Jack landed softly on a branch, his feet barely smudging the frost. His head was spinning with questions: Why didn't she kiss him? Didn't she like him? Had he done something wrong? Was Rose just messing with him? Frustrated, Jack leaned against the trunk of the tree and tapped the surrounding branches so that intricate frost patterns spread out over them. He didn't know how long it had been since he'd seen Rose. A week? Maybe a month? He really wasn't sure. But he knew that he missed her, despite everything. He still wanted to see her, she was one of the only real good things in his life. Why did she have to wait? Couldn't she just decide now? Jack had been waiting over 300 years for a girl like her, there was no way he was waiting any longer. He needed her, she kept him on his toes, gave him some excitement. Some fun. Alas, she did not give him any answers.

Jack muttered to himself as he stood up, running a hand through his hair. "Guess the only way to find answers is to get them yourself."

Jack tapped on Rose's window gently, smiling as he saw her drop her book and rush towards him. He was glad she was excited to see him, especially when he saw how quickly she'd abandoned her book for him. She opened the window and pulled him inside for a hug, before releasing him and checking him over to make sure he was okay.

Satisfied he was fine, Rose grinned. "Jack Frost, it's been a while!"

Jack raised a dark eyebrow. "Has it? How long exactly has it been?"

Rose crossed her arms and sighed. "One of these days you'll get a calender. It's been a month."

"A month? Wow, didn't realize it was that long..." Jack whistled.

"Yeah. I'd begun to think you weren't coming back. Or that you weren't real." Rose gave a weak laugh and fiddled with the sleeve of her jumper.

Jack took her hand in his and squeezed it comfortingly. "Hey, listen. I'll always come back, I promise. And please, you couldn't imagine _this_ amount of good looks, charm and wit. Of course I'm real."

Rose snickered and pushed him in the chest. "You are incredibly self-loving. And immature."

Jack rose into the air above her and smiled down sweetly. "What's the point of being the Guardian of fun if I can't be immature?"

"Mhmm." Rose raised her eyebrows at him with a sly smile on her lips. She'd missed Jack, it was good to have him back. She hoped he hadn't taken it too hard, when she rejected him for a second time. The whole month away from him she'd spent torturing herself replaying the hurt on his face, reminding her of the choice she had still yet to make.

"Tell me Rose, do you know what 'fun' is?" Jack teased her, tapping her on the head with his staff so that snow fell and got caught in her dark hair.

Rose groaned and ran her fingers through her hair, trying to pull them out. "I swear to God if this doesn't come out I'm going to kill you."

"You wouldn't dare." Jack said, laughing at her face screwed up in anger.

"Try me." Rose gave up and reached up to poke Jack. "Get this out of my hair. Now."

Jack snickered and touched her head lightly, causing even more snow drops to land in her hair. "It'll melt anyway."

"That's besides the point." Rose grunted and looked up at him. "Why'd you come back anyway?"

"I'm not allowed to miss my friend?" Jack feigned shock and placed a hand on his heart. "Don't you want me?"

"Of course I want you here, you idiot. Did you miss me?" Rose asked, intrigued. Had he? The fact he was here made her want to smile uncontrollably; she didn't think she'd ever see that lop sided grin or that shocking white hair ever again.

"That's why I'm here," Jack nodded at her with amusement in his eyes. "Well, that and something else."

"Oh? What else?"

"I'm going to take you ice skating." Jack said floating down onto her bed.

"Ice skating?" Rose tilted her head and raised her eyebrow at him. Where was he going with this?

"Yes. It's when you use blades attached to boots to move on the ice." Jack spoke slowly, as if she was dumb. He cracked a smile when she pinned him with a glare, her arms crossed.

"I know what it is, you smartarse. But why are we doing that?"

"To have fun, Rose. Tell me, have you ever had fun before?" Jack teased her again, dodging her hand as she tried to hit him.

Rose stared at him, trying to keep the smile off her lips. "Contrary to what you believe, Jack, I actually have had fun before."

"Fun that doesn't involve a book?"

"Well, now I never said that." Rose laughed and sat next to Jack, leaning into him. She liked the way her body fit into his; it made her feel better, forced the bad thoughts away.

"C'mon. Let me take you ice skating, have fun for one day. That's all I'm asking, okay? One day of fun." Jack nudged her gently and stared into her warm brown eyes. He liked the way the green speckles shone through when the light hit them a certain way, it made them stand out against her creamy skin.

Rose felt her resolve crumble as Jack looked at her with that wondrous look in his eyes. His face looked so young and so pure, as if nothing bad had ever happened to him in his life. She loved that look. "Fine. I've got skates in the wardrobe."

Jack smiled brilliantly and kissed her forehead. "See? You can have fun. Now don't worry about the ice. I know a great lake that's frozen over not that far from here. It'll be completely empty, and I'll be able to sense where the weak spots of ice are, so we don't have a repeat of...well you know, no...No, sorry, this is a stupid idea, nevermind. We can, we can do something else."

Jack's face clouded over with sadness and Rose felt her heart ache at the sight. She pulled him in for a hug and rubbed his back gently, trying to console him. "Hey, hey, it's okay. It's fine, honestly. I want to go go. Please."

Jack hugged her back, enjoy the feel of her warm body against his cool one. He drew back with a slightly forced smile and nodded at the wardrobe. "Go get your skates."

A dimple appeared on Rose's cheek as she smiled. She stood up and walked towards her wardrobe, rooting through all the shoes trying to find the skates. Jack lay on her bed and tapped everything with his staff, snickering when nearly all Rose's belongings were covered in snow and frost. Rose heard his giggle and turned round to see all her things had been Jack'd.

"Stop frosting my shit. Seriously, get rid of it." Rose threw an annoyed glance behind her and went back to hunting for the left boot. The right one lay at her side, useless without it's partner.

"Spoilsport." Jack murmured under his breath. He raised his staff and swirled it and all the snow and frost disappeared, carried out by the wind from the open window.

"What was that?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing. I said nothing." Jack put his hands up and fought to keep a smile of his face at the exasperated look on Rose's face.

"Found it!" Rose pulled out the left boot triumphantly and sat back on her heels. She shoved the rest of the shoes back in the wardrobe and stood up, holding the boots by their laces.

"Good. By the way, why do you have ice skates? You're the most uncoordinated person on the planet."

"They're my aunts. She gave them to me in the off chance I decide to go outside for something other than the library." Rose smiled faintly and touched the boots fondly.

"Oh, ready to fly?" Jack leaped towards the window and held a hand out.

Rose took a deep breath and heaved herself up next to Jack. Carefully, she wrapped her arms around his neck and clung tightly, determined not to fall off.

Jack shivered at his touch and had to remind himself to focus. He paced an arm around Rose's waist and held on protectively, preparing to jump. "Hold tight," he said, and leaped from her window.

They soared through the sky, Jack urging the wind to carry them faster and higher. He shot into the sky like a rocket, slowing down to do some loops and dips. Jack heard a muffled moan from Rose and slowed down to just normal flying. He used his staff to create a mini blizzard to conceal Rose from the humans. A seventeen year old girl flying through the air clinging to nothing, holding ice skates in her hand isn't something you'd see everyday. As they approached the lake, Jack gently dropped down onto the ice and let go of Rose.

"There, we're here." He said, laughing at her terrified face.

"You know, it wasn't as bad as the first time. But still horrible." Rose mused, pursing her lips.

"You should open your eyes next time, it's a lot more fun." Jack noted. "Now put on your boots."

Rose done what she was told and pulled on her skates, abandoning her trainers on the ice. Jack pointed out the thin parts of ice, and warned her to stay away from them. She skated nervously next to Jack, who wrapped his arm around her waist for balance. Jack needed no skates, his feet glided across the ice like it was nothing. He pushed off gently, making sure Rose was keeping up. Jack winked at Rose and let go of her to skate faster. As he gathered speed, he leaped up into the air, spun four times and landed perfectly, skating back next to her.

Rose's mouth fell open and a startled laugh came out. "Oh my God, Jack! I didn't know you could do that!"

"I'm immortal and the spirit of Winter, what else am I meant to do with all that time and ice?" Jack asked, grinning at her expression. Jack took both of Rose's hands in his and gave them a squeeze. "Rose, how would you like to _spin_?"

Rose's eyes widened and she tried to pull back. "Jack, no! Seriously, don't! I mean it, no. No, Jack, JACK!"

Jack threw his head back and laughed, pulling Rose round in a circle faster and faster until she was spinning madly. Roses lessons kicked in and she crossed her arms over her chest for better balance and lifted her left foot to her right knee. She spun for another minute then eventually slowed down in front of Jack.

"You know," He said. "That's no beginners spin. Spill."

"The skates are mine, not my aunt's. I've been going to lessons since I moved to Ireland, and I'm actually pretty good if I'm being honest. I haven't found a good rink yet to continue, but that's alright. I was going to quit before I moved here, it was starting to become all about the competitions and not about having fun."

"And you kept this a secret because...?" Jack asked her, smiling.

"What good would it do to tell you? You're like a bloody King of the Ice, how am I meant to compete with that?" Rose gave a half smile and took Jack's hand.

"Show me what you can do. Then we'll decide who has most skill." Jack leaned on his staff, eyes full of amusement. He could watch her all day and never get bored.

"Fine, but only because it's you," she said, a dimple appearing in her cheek when she smiled at him nervously.

Rose let go of Jack's hand and pushed off, gaining momentum for her jump. She leaped and performed an axel jump, landing perfectly on her feet. The wind blew in her face as she twirled, and Rose felt her lips stretch into a smile; she forgot how much she loved skating. She gathered more speed and pushed off two feet, flying into a Butterfly Jump, he legs scissor-kicking in the air. Rose breathed a sigh of relief that she aced the landing and glided backwards,picking up speed. She jumped round so she was skating forwards again, and turned into a camel spin, keeping her leg straight out behind her. She then transformed into a Biellmann spin, lifting her leg above her head from behind. When she eventually slowed down, Rose stood up straight and gave a little curtsy.

Jack's mouth hit the ground and a huge whoop of joy exploded from him. He leaped up into the air and did a back flip, throwing his arms about. He dropped right down next to her and picked her up, spinning her round in the air before gently depositing her back down. His whole face was alight with joy, and it seemed he couldn't keep the smile off his face. "Oh, wow! Rose you were awesome! Like, really awesome! You were just, I mean it was so-"

Rose laughed and took his hand in hers. "Thank you. I'm glad you liked it, I honestly didn't know if I'd be able to pull it of or not. Glad I didn't fall, that would've been embarrassing."

Jack chuckled. "Care for a skate?"

"I would love to."

Together they skated, twirling and jumping, laughing when one of them nearly slipped. Jack dragged his staff along the ice, grinning when it spread giant frost creations of flowers and leaves on the ice. Rose's eyes lit up in wonder and she found that for the first time, in a very long time, she was actually having fun. Jack stopped and pulled her next to him, one hand on her cheek and the other on her hip. Rose's hands drifted to Jack's waist, bringing her body close to his.

"It seems that every time we meet you surprise me more and more." Jack's voice was soft and content, and he couldn't help but feel he was getting lost in her eyes.

Rose blushed and gave a quirky smile. "I told you- I'm actually sort of interesting if you stick around long enough."

Jack stroked her cheek with his thumb and sighed. He'd almost forgotten what today was for. "Rose, why won't you kiss me? Is it something I've done?"

Rose tried to pull away, but Jack's hand remained firmly on her hip. She looked up at him with sad eyes. "No, it's not something you done. It's just, I have this voice in my head, always telling me why we won't work. And it's right, Jack. There's so many things..."

Jack forced his voice out. "Like what?"

"Well, you're immortal. I'll grow old, Jack. And you'll be forever seventeen. How can that possibly work?"

"Rose, do you really think that matters? I'm over 300 years old, yet here you are with me right now. I'm older than you'll ever be, do you really think I'll let something as minuscule as age get in the way of what I want?"

"Jack, I'll get old. I'll get bags under my eyes, and crows feet, and laugh lines-"

"And you'll still be just as beautiful. I don't care about age, Rose. Stay with me for as long as you can. A year, five years, any time spent with you is time I'll never forget. You can be mine until you don't want to anymore." Jack stared into her eyes with his stormy blue ones, the iris' swirling with emotion.

"What about kids? Marriage? I want those things in life Jack. Can I have them with you?" Rose's words were detached as she looked up at him, and wished she could just hug him and never have to make a decision.

Jack's lips hardened. "We can get married, if it ever gets to that. I'll do anything to make you happy, you know that. But, no. You can't have children with me. I'm sorry, Rose...there's no records of a guardian/human pregnancy in the book, the chances are it could kill you. I'm not willing to take that chance...but you don't have to stay with me forever. You're only seventeen, think of all the time we could spend together until you want to leave to start new adventures. It doesn't have to be in black and white, Rose. There's always shades of grey."

"What if I fall in love with you Jack? What then? Do you think I could just up and leave you to find someone else? Do you really think I could do that?" Rose's voice broke and she yelled at him. Why did he have to be so nice? Why couldn't he just understand she was trying to save them both heart ache?

"Well I'd rather fall in love with you than never get the chance!" Jack shouted, taking both her arms.

Rose placed her forehead against Jack's chest and tried to steady her breathing. She wanted him, she wanted him more than she ever wanted anything in her life. But she couldn't, she couldn't have him. "I'm sorry, Jack. I-I just can't be with you, no matter how much I want you. I'm sorry, we're not meant to be."

Jack stepped back and clutched his staff, his youthful face suddenly looking old and worn. His eyes no longer held that joy, and instead they looked heavy, like the weight of the world had been placed on his shoulders. He kicked the snow and stared at him, before nodding a few times. His voice was empty, void of emotion. "Fine. I'll go."

"Jack, no-" Rose reached out for him, but he waved her hand away. "Don't go."

"What's my other option, Rose? Stay and fall in love? Only to have you constantly deny me what I want? To throw it back in my face? Is that what you want, for me to never be happy?" Jack spat out, his fist clenched tightly around his staff. The sky above him was turning black, and giant clouds were beginning to cover every part of it.

Rose looked at him, defeated. "No...you're right, I'm sorry. I shouldn't keep you here just because I'm selfish. But for what it's worth, Jack, I could have fallen in love with you. And I probably would have. But it just wouldn't-"

"-have worked, I know. Goodbye, Rose." Jack said softly.

With that, he turned on his heel and shot into the air, using the wind to carry him away. Rose crumbled and let the tears out, sobbing until her throat felt raw, she tried to stand up and stumbled, slipping over to a different patch of ice. Her vision was blurred by tears, and she had a hard time breathing right. She felt horrible, and she already missed Jack. She knew she'd done the right thing, she couldn't bear to let Jack go if she stayed with him too long. She already found herself yearning for him now, his touch, his eyes, everything. If she let herself love him, it would only end badly. She'd never be good enough for Jack. He deserved someone amazing, who would be able to be with him. Not her.

As Rose tied to stand, a huge crack appeared from beneath her. Before she could ever react, the ice cracked and fell away, and Rose was pulled underwater. The almost black water pulled at her, numbing her limbs with each second that passed. It burned her with an icy fury, and she desperately tried to move, but it was as if she was lethargic. Rose thrashed slowly, trying to get to the top. With her last ounce of strength, she pushed upwards and broke to the surface.

"Jack! JACK!" She screamed his name and took another breath before the water claimed her again. This time when she went under, it was like someone was stabbing her over and over. She wanted to cry out from the pain, but she had no energy to do anything. Closing her eyes, Rose let out her breath and lay still, waiting for death to claim her.


	6. Chapter 6

Jack froze and cocked his head, listening intently. It had only been minutes since he walked away from Rose, and he already felt like a chunk of him was missing. Shaking his head, he quietened his surroundings, silencing the wind. He could swore someone just shouted his name. He strained his ears and waited for a second call. When it came, his eyes went wide; he was right, someone _was_ calling his name, and it sounded like Rose. If it hadn't been for the terror in her voice, he would've ignored it and walked away. But she sounded more than scared, he could hear the horrible screech of pure fear in her voice, like she'd given that call everything she had. When no third call came, Jack's breathing picked up and he ran a hand through his hair. There was no choice, he'd have to go back to her, she needed him. He ran and shot into the air, using the wind faster than he ever had before. He raced towards the ice, where she'd last been. He didn't know if she'd be there still, but it was his only lead. He urged himself forward, his own fear driving himself faster. What had happened? Had she been kidnapped? Hurt? He had to get to her as fast as he could. His head was swirling with the possible scenarios, and he found that an anger was bubbling up inside of him If anyone had harmed her... Jack shook the thought away. He didn't know what he'd do if that happened, and he didn't want to think about it. As he got to the ice, his eyes scanned the whole area madly, searching for any sign of her presence. Her trainers were still on the ice, which meant she couldn't have gone far. She wouldn't have left without them, would she? Jack cursed and flew higher, looking from an ariel view. That's when he saw it. The crack. All the breath left Jack's body ad he could've sworn his heart stopped. Suddenly, the memory of his sister flooded his mind, and Jack snapped into action.

"NO! ROSE!" He screamed, nosediving straight for the large hole in the ice.

He plummeted into it with so much force water erupted on either side of him, like makeshift tsunami waves. The icy water didn't bother him, and he swam through the water, desperately searching for Rose. His heart quickened pace as he began to worry more and more. How long was she in here for? How long could she stay in this water for? The water was freezing, and Jack could only imagine the pain she felt when she was submerged. His worried drove him to swim faster and harder,his eyes crazily scanning for her. He could feel the breath in his lungs start to burn, aching to be let free. He ignored it and soldiered on, using his staff to cast a blue light in the dark water, making it easier to see. His lungs were on fire now, begging for air, but Jack refused them any attention. Rose was his main priority, he had to find her. Suddenly, he caught sight of a hand underneath him, floating limply. Jack's eyes light up and he grabbed it, pulling it along with him to the top. Jack looked at the face and momentarily relaxed; it was Rose. He quickly wrapped his arm around her waist and hauled her up with him, turning the water underneath him to ice, using it like a platform pushing them faster and faster to the top. They broke to the surface like lightning, shooting up into the air. Jack softly landed on the ice , and he laid her down gently. She didn't look so good. Her skin looked waxy and pale, with a blue twinge. Her lips were purple and her auburn hair looks tangled and black, stuck to her face like the legs of a giant spider. Her fingers were shriveled up and beginning to darken in colour, and Jack felt his heart break as he looked at her. She wasn't breathing.

Setting his staff aside, Jack wracked his brain- how could he save her? He remembered a vague memory of hitting the heart three, no, four times. Jack had no idea if it was correct, but it was all he had to go on. He clasped his hands and hit her chest again and again, applying the same amount of pressure. He could feel the tears roll down his face as he desperately willed her to breathe, why wouldn't she just _breathe?_ Jack tried to think of something else to do. There had to be something, he couldn't just let her die. An old memory formed in Jack's brain, and he went with it not knowing if it would help or not. He remembered what his mother had said, about if someone was drowning. _Give them air_. Sobbing freely, Jack tilted her head back shakily, pinched her nose and placed his lips against hers. He gave her his breath and watched helplessly as it came right back, uselessly. He hit her chest again, his hands thumping her heart four times. He didn't even have to think about it, he just had to do it. He wouldn't let her die. When that proved to be no help, Jack pinched her nose and breathed into her lungs, sobs wracking his body. He sat by her, watching as each breath and each thump did nothing.

"Rose...oh, my Rose," He cried, placing two ice cold hands on her face. "I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry I couldn't save you."

Anger and misery swelled up inside him, and in that moment he wanted to die, too. He hated everything about this world, and for that time he could no longer see its beauty, only it's destruction. He raised his staff and slammed it against the ice with a grief-filled yell. His anger flowed through the staff, fueling it with power. All the ice around them cracked, like a giant spiderweb. The cracks were long and deep, and water even started to seep up through some bits. Then, he sat down defeated and hung his head in shame. He couldn't save her. She trusted him, and he couldn't save her. What was he going to do now? Her brother, her aunt...they'd be distraught, and it was all his fault. If he'd suggested something else for today, if he'd just stayed away...none of this would have happened. Pitch was right all those years ago- he caused a mess wherever he went. Staring at the destruction around him, Jack let tears roll down his face. He made his way towards Rose and lay down next to her, for he felt dead himself.

With despair in his eyes, he looked at her. "If I ever fell in love, it would have been with you. I'm sorry, for everything."

Jack closed his eyes and lay perfectly still, letting the waves of hopelessness wash over him. The last time he ever got to see Rose, and he'd spent it walking away from her. Idiot, he told himself. Jack didn't know if he'd ever be over this. Maybe in ten years. Maybe in a hundred. Or maybe never. Lost in his thoughts, he almost missed he tiny gasp. He sat bolt upright and faced Rose scanning her. He thought he'd imagined it, but there it was again, anther frail breath coming from her lips. Jack shook his head and grinned; could she be alive?

"Rose! Rose wake up!" He said, shaking her shoulders gently.

Rose's back arched and she let out a huge cough, choking on the water in her throat. Jack lent her forward and watched as the stream of water left her lungs. She spluttered and couched, Jack rubbing her back smoothly. Her body was shaking, but at least her lips looked less purple. When all the water had finally left her lungs, she looked around terrified, until she caught the sight of Jack. She was still confused, and her eyes moved about wildly, but she knew Jack was good, that he wouldn't hurt her. She was glad that he'd heard her, otherwise she would've been dead for sure.

Jack felt tears fall from his eyes again, but this time they were of was alive, his Rose was alive! He'd saved her. Gently, he scooped her up and picked up his abandoned staff. He kissed her forehead and sighed with relief before leaping into the air, back to her house.

When he reached her window, he lay her on the bed as quietly as he could. Her brother's car wasn't there, which meant he could afford to make noise. Her clothes were dripping, and he carefully set to work on taking them off. He unlaced her skates and set them aside, before removing her jacket and shirt. He left her tanktop and jeans on, not wanting to be disrespectful. He grabbed a few coats from her wardrobe and set them over her, and then went looking for the hairdryer to dry her off. Rose lay on her bed watching, unable to move much yet. Every part of her hurt, and all she could feel was the icy chill spreading through her body. She didn't know how she felt about Jack not undressing her completely. Part of her was thankful to him for respecting her, but the other part wondered if he left them on purely because she looked a mess. He set about drying her slowly, sitting by her bedside watching as the colour came painstakingly slow back to her body. When she looked a bit more normal, he lay the coats on top of her and smiled warmly. He couldn't explain what he felt like, it was unbelievable. He felt elated that she was okay, and that he'd managed to save her.

She sat up weakly and searched for his hand, holding tight even when he tried to pull away. "Jack, thank you."

Jack grinned. "No problem."

"No, I..." Rose stared at him and forced the words out of her still numb lips. "I mean it. Thank you. I would have died without you."

Jacks expression turned dark. "You almost did."

"But you saved me." She said, giving him a weak smile. "I knew you would."

Jack smiled faintly at the faith she had in him. "We're just lucky I got there in time."

"We're?" She said, tilting her head. "Why were you lucky?"

Jack rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand. "Because you lived. If I was any later...if you had died, I wouldn't have forgiven myself. I'm meant to protect you, and I almost let you die. So that's why I'm lucky. My Rose is still alive."

Rose smiled at him. Hearing those words, it somehow warmed her up more than the coats. "It wasn't your fault. It was mine, I was being an idiot. I'm sorry, Jack. For putting you through that."

"Don't be. Trust me, all I care about right now is that you're okay. Is there anything you need?"

"Actually, I'd like a shower. To really warm up, is that okay?" She said.

Jack scooped her up and let the coats fall to the floor. He walked into the bathroom with her and set her down, turning his back as she stripped. She managed to get into the shower, and Jack was free to look again, since she had pulled the shower curtain all around her. He sat on the toilet, fiddling with his fingers nervously.

"You okay in there?" He asked, leaning forward.

Rose's voice sounded a lot stronger. "I'm much better actually, thanks. This hot waters working a miracle."

Jack laughed and sat back. He had a towel sitting on his lap, waiting for her. When she called his name, he stuck his hand through and handed her the towel, averting his eyes until she stepped out in front of him. Her pale skin now had most of it's creaminess back, and she had a faint blush to her cheeks. He walked behind her, watching her walk to make sure she really was okay.

When she sat down, Jack cocked his head. "You must be the strongest person alive."

"How so?"

"A few hours ago you were drowning, and now look at you. You look fine." Jack said wondrously.

Rose grinned. "Thanks. Now please turn around while I change."

Jack blushed and turned around immediately, waiting on her to tell him it was okay to look. A few minutes later, she tapped him on the shoulder lightly. She had short ad a cami-top on. Jack turned round and she flung her arms around his neck, hugging him close. Jack put his arms on her waist and hugged her back, grateful for the contact.

As Rose pulled back, she looked him in the eyes, arms still linked around his neck. "Jack."

Jack sighed. "I know. You meant what you said and I promise I'll leave you alone after this-"

Rose cut him off with a kiss. It was soft and sweet, and she pulled back and blushed. "I want you to stay. For as long as you can. I want to be yours, and I want you to be mine. I don't care how it plays out, _I just want you."_

Jack's mouth dropped in shock. She wanted him? She really wanted him? They could be together? The thoughts ran wild in his head, those four little words replaying over and over. Before he could stop himself, he kissed her back, their lips fitting together like a puzzle piece. Her lips were soft and warm against his, and he felt her mouth part slightly. Jack felt her hands move to the back of his head as he kissed her, pulling him closer. Jacks tongue traced her lip lightly, before brushing against hers gently. They stumbled to the bed, too caught up in the moment to care.

Jack broke away panting, a huge smile on his face. "I have waited so long to do that."

"I've been trying so long not to do that." Rose laughed, entwining her fingers in his. "But now, I'm gonna let myself want what I want."

Jack leaned in close and laid her back onto the bed. "What do you want?"

"You." Rose kissed him again, pouring all her feelings into it. His icy lips ignited a fire within her, and she tangled her fingers in his pure white hair. This kiss was passionate, filled with the delayed desires and wants of both of them. Jack's hand was on her hip, moving up to her waist. She shivered when his icy cold hand touched the bare skin and immediately felt Jack stop.

"No, you idiot." She said, bringing him closer. "I'm not shivering because it's cold, I'm shivering because I like it."

Jack shivered himself and went back to kissing her. He'd never done this before, never met a human who made him feel so wild inside. Rose's lips moved with Jack's, and he felt her legs wrap around his hips. Jack used to wind to raise them into the air, Rose squealing with excitement. She kissed him slowly, pulling away with a dimpled smile. For a 300 year old guy, Jack was a brilliant kisser.

Jack set her back down on the bed and lay next to her, the biggest grin on his face. "Does this mean I can see you whenever I want?"

"Come every single day if you want." Rose laughed and snuggled into him, her wet hair drying slowly.

"So..can I stay with you?" He asked hesitantly.

Rose smiled. "We can be together for as long as we're able to. I'm never letting you go again, Jack. I can't, I need you."

"As long as you promise to stay away from all lakes, I'll stay." He said, holding her gently.

Rose gave a little laugh. "Deal." Then, after a moment, she spoke again. "Jack?"

"Hm?"

"Will you stay tonight?"

Jack felt his lips turn up at the hopefulness in her voice. He's only just got her, there was no way he was leaving her so soon. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll stay."

Rose grinned and tilted her head up, letting Jack plant a soft kiss on her lips. "Thank you."

Jack chuckled and tried to pull the covers over Rose so she didn't get cold, but she kicked them away. "No. I don't want them. I'd rather be cold with you."

Jack looked at her tenderly and sighed happily. "Okay."

They lay on her bed for hours, not even moving when her brother came in. They didn't speak, just held each other in an embrace so pure nothing could spoil it. Jack was elated; he never thought this would happen. And yet here he was, with the girl of his dreams lying next to him. He felt her breathing slow as she fell asleep, her dark lashes brushing against her cheek. Jack smiled at her simple beauty, even more prominent during sleep. All her stubbornness and worries melted away when she slept, and Jack felt his heart skip at the sight. This beautiful, amazing, smart girl was his. He had a feeling he'd never get used to that. Jack himself didn't need seep, but he closed his eyes anyway, and thought of Rose. Where would thy go from here? Would it just be them? Or should he show her to all his friends? Perhaps show her the Ice Kingdom... Jack bit his lip then nodded, a decision made. Next step? Meet the Guardians.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry this took a while, I've been caught up in watching season 1 of Supernatural... Anyway, there's some Irish in this, and I tried to be as accurate as I could, so I stayed far away from Google Translate, and found some good sites, dictionaries and matched some words up with Gaelic (Scottish) to trace the roots and see if I could get it as accurate as I could. If there's anything wrong, or if it's not correct, feel free to let me know. I hope you enjoy! Thanks for reviewing and favouriting guys, it means a lot! Please continue to :) PLEASE REVIEW IT KEEPS ME GOING GUYS EVEN IF THEY'RE BAD ONES :P Also, don't be afraid to share my story about, I'm always hoping to get more readers :3 Love you all, enjoy!**

Rose opened her eyes and smiled; Jack was still lying beside her, his arm wrapped around her. She was just about to wake him up when he opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Morning." She said, lacing her fingers through his.

"Morning. Sleep well?"

Rose sighed happily. "Great. You?"

"Oh, I don't sleep, but you definitely do. You snore a little in your sleep." Jack said.

Rose hit him on the shoulder and scowled when he laughed. "Cad é atá tú a rá or a mhaíomh? Dún do chlab mór!"

Jack's eyes widened and he stared at her. "Did you just, did you just shout at me in Irish?"

"I did."

"How'd you do that?"

"I learned it off my aunt, plus my school taught it a little." She said, smiling. "It's not that commonly used now, like Gaelic in Scotland."

Jack laughed. "What did you say to me?"

"I'm not saying!" Rose clamped her lips shut to prove her point.

Jack whined and threatened to tickle her, his hands at her waist. "Come on, that's not fair! What did you say? I'll tickle you..."

Rose grinned and lay her head against his chest. "I said, 'What do you mean?' and...then I told you to shut the fuck up."

Jack's jaw dropped in feigned shock and he gave a startled laugh. "Well then. That's me told. Such vulgar language from such a pretty face."

Rose looked up at him. "Aw, you really think I'm pretty?"

Jack chuckled and hugged her tighter. "Oh, I do. But the question is...do you think I'm pretty?"

Rose burst into giggles and squeezed is hand. "The prettiest."

"Good. You're correct, of course." Jack gave her that lop sided grin that made her melt inside.

"Obviously." She laughed and rubbed her thumb across his hand.

Jack's lips pressed against her hair. "As much as I'd love to just lie here, you should go get ready. I've got something planned for today."

Rose nodded and stood up, stretching. She covered her mouth to yawn and crossed her arms. "Where are we going?"

"I'll tell you when you're ready." He said, smiling impishly.

Rose sighed an walked into the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face. The cool water splashed on her face and woke her up fully. When that was done, she walked back into the room and picked out some clothes. She picked out a white top, a deep blue zip-up hoodie, light brown jeans and blue converse. When she put her snowflake earrings in, she realized she'd dressed herself similar to Jack.

Hoping he wouldn't notice, she ran a hand through her hair quickly. "Have you seen my specks?"

"Your what?" Jack asked, confused.

Rose sighed and the corner of her lip turned upwards. "My glasses."

"Oh...I think you lost them in the lake." Jack said, the memory sending a chill through his body.

Rose groaned and walked over to her drawer, pulling out a small case. "Contacts it is then."

Jack watched her place the them in her eyes and pulled a face. It looked uncomfortable. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." She said. "Just give me a minute; I haven't worn these in a while."

Once her eyes had calmed down, she opened her second drawer and pulled out some liquid eyeliner and slowly put it on. For once, it went on without any mistakes, and both sides were even. So there is a God, she thought. Silently, she thanked him for the good eyeliner. When it was perfect, she added a slick of mascara and turned to Jack. "How do I look?"

Jack leaped up from the bed and walked behind her, his arms looping around her waist. He pushed her mane of hair to the side and kissed her cheek softly. "Beautiful. As always."

Rose scoffed and leaned into him, hitting his shoulder lightly. "You say that, but we both know you're the pretty one."

Jack spun her round and kissed her, catching her off guard. "I'm willing to share the title."

Rose felt her legs go jelly and forced herself to stand up straight. Her mind drew a blank whenever Jack kissed her- the only thing she could think about was him, and she found it was hard to shake the feeling away. She looped her arms around his neck and felt herself smile as she looked at him. She really was lucky. "So where are we going today?"

"To meet the Guardians." Jack said, waiting for her reaction.

Rose grinned widely. "I'm important enough now! Brilliant! Wait, am I under dressed? Should I wear a dress? What do I call them? How long will I be gone?"

"Wow wow wow, slow down." Jack chuckled and took her hand, leading her over to the desk. "You look fine. You'll be gone a few hours, so leave a note for your brother. He's probably worried about you...you haven't spoke to him in a while. Partly my fault. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. You're right though, I really should spend more time with him. I'll try to talk to him tomorrow." Rose scribbled a sentence onto the notepad explaining that she'd be home later. She grabbed her phone and stuffed in in her pocket, before opening up her window. She eyed it warily. "Flying again?"

Jack grinned and held her close. "Just hold on tight. And open your eyes this time!"

Rose groaned and held on tight, burying her head in Jack's shoulder. He went higher and higher, as high as he possibly could with Rose still able to breathe. Nervously, she opened her eyes and squealed, clinging tighter. Jack's laughter annoyed her, so she opened them again. She kept them open.

"You know, this isn't actually so bad." She said, feeling light and happy.

Jack smiled. "I told you. Open your eyes and it's a lot more fun!"

"Is it bad I have the craziest urge to yell? Actually, I'm having a high School musical moment..cue 'Breaking Free'!" Rose burst into a fit of giggles and loosened her hold on Jack.

Jack shook his head and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "I don't get it."

"You've never seen High School Musical? You've never lived, Jack." Rose laughed again. "It's this old cheesy musical thing."

"I don't have much time to see things like that. Being a winter spirit and all."

Rose sighed and placed her head on his shoulder. It was hard to hear each other, but it was better than not talking the whole way. She kissed him on the cheek and let out a happy breath. The wind was rippling through her long wild hair, and she couldn't help but think she was like fire. Rose tilted her head at the thought. She _was_ fire, and Jack was ice. Are they each others missing puzzle pieces, or will she just end up destroying him? The sudden thought cast a dark mood on her, one which she tried desperately to shake away. Finally, Jack slowed down and they stopped, landing at the base of a tunnel.

Rose took Jack's hand and looked at it. "Where are we?"

"The Warren. Or just about to go into it anyway." Jack said, leading her in. The tunnel was cave like, with stone walls and grass across the floor. Grass also made its way along the stone, stretching out like a huge green blanket.

Rose touched it lightly with her hand as she followed Jack. Who lived in the Warren? She wracked her brain trying to remember her mother's tales. The Easter Bunny? She wasn't sure. " So this is the Easter Bunny's home?"

"Yeah." Jack said, tugging her along gently. "It's much nicer inside."

To prove it, Jack stopped and pushed her forward, watching her take a few tentative steps into the large area of grassy land. He stood next to her and took her hand, smiling at the look of shock on her face. Rose looked around in wonder and stared. She was sure her mouth had opened, but she couldn't close it right now; she was still shocked by the Warren. It was huge and airy, with bright green grass covering almost everything. The outside was covered in tunnels, leading to God knows where. There were giant stone statues standing tall and proud, and a few were even shaped like huge eggs. Hundreds of flowers were in bloom, and of to the right there was a river of multicoloured liquid, shimmering and gleaming, each time becoming a new colour. The trees were bright and almost magical looking, with the branches ending in little coloured spirals. There was a path starting from far off, where it stopped in the middle and split into lots of little paths, each one leading to a tunnel.

Rose stepped forward and delighted laugh escaped her lips. "This is beautiful! Look at it, it's gorgeous!"

Grinning, Jack put his arm around her waist. "It is."

Suddenly, a broad Australian voice came from behind the eggs. "Intruders!"

The giant egg statues stood up and twisted their heads around, now facing Jack and Rose with large angry faces. They began to advance towards them and Rose clung to Jack, trying to push down her fear.

Jack raced forward and shouted, "No! Bunny! It's me!"

A large grey-blue rabbit stepped in front of the eggs and held a paw up. The eggs spun their heads back round and sat down, as if nothing had happened. He had flower-like imprints on both his forehead and shoulders, and bright green eyes. He wore leather bracers set with orange stones, a single-strap holster with which he carried his boomerangs, and leather wrappings on his feet. Rose's eyes widened; he was huge! Over six feet tall, and with a mean look in his eye.

Rose held onto Jack. "_That's_ the Easter Bunny?"

Bunnymund took a step toward them and pointed at her. "Oi! Watch it, you. What did you expect? A tiny rabbit with bows? Cause listen here, Missy-"

Rose shook her head and looked down. "No, no, sorry."

Jack looked at Bunny angrily. "Bunny, cut her some slack. She's never seen you before!"

Bunny turned to Jack and glared. "What is she even doing here? And how can she see us? Jack, what's going on?"

Jack sighed and griped his staff tightly. "I brought her here because I have to gather the Guardians. I'll explain everything when we have the others, please Bunny, just come with us."

"No, Jack! Why should I? Do you realize what a big deal this is? She's hardly a child! Why can she see us?!" Bunny yelled, pointing his boomerang at Rose. He took a threatening step towards her.

Jack stood in front of Rose protectively and raised his staff to Bunny. His voice was calm. "Put that boomerang down right now or I will ice this whole thing over."

Bunny retreated and put the boomerang down. He hadn't meant to frighten the girl, he was just wanting answers. Sighing, he dragged a hand down his face and looked at her. "Sorry."

"It's okay. Um, what do I call you?" She said, trying to keep her voice steady. The truth was the Easter Bunny terrified her, with his boomerangs and mean glare.

"Bunnymund." Said Bunny, his words clipped. Turning on Jack, he crossed his arms. "I'll go, but we're taking the tunnels."

"Fine by me." Jack lowered his staff and gave Rose's hand a squeeze. He looked at Bunny again. "Tooth Palace next."

Bunny tapped his foot twice on the ground and before she knew what was happening, Rose was falling.

It was over as quick as it begun, and in no time at all she was back on her feet, on new land. Rose gazed at Bunnymund. "That was incredible!"

Bunny didn't reply, but the glare in his eye softened. Rose looked around and gasped again. Tooth Palace was huge, and made up of what seemed like giant mountains. They were tinged with pink, and down the bottom was a glistening light blue lake, surrounded by trees. Huge extravagant platforms stretched on forever, and to Rose they resembled beautiful chandeliers, hanging gracefully. They looked like huge flowers, with pink and purple panels and intricate designs etched all over them. Gold tinged the whole place, running along the platforms, shining in the light. They were standing on a bit of stone bridge, spiraling out in all directions. Flying around in the air were, what looked like at first glance, tiny luminescent birds, with bright blue feathers and gold on their chests. However, at second glance, she realized they weren't birds, but in fact tiny fairies.

Rose tugged on Jack's sleeve. "Are those the fairies? I always thought they were like little people, not like this...They're beautiful."

Jack grinned. "Yeah those are the fairies. If you think they're beautiful, wait till you see tooth."

Rose flinched and tried to hide her jealousy. Of course she was going to be gorgeous, just look at her fairies. She forced the feeling aside and nodded. "Sure."

Jack took a step forward. "Tooth! Hey Tooth!"

Suddenly, a psychedelic woman with wings flew down towards them, smiling widely. She flung herself at Jack and hugged him, pulling him close. Jack hugged her back and laughed. "Jack! I haven't seen you in a while! How are you? And Bunny! Good to see you!"

"I'm fine, Tooth. You're good, too, yeah?" Jack gave an easy smile and leaned on one foot.

"All right, Tooth." Bunny said, nodding at her.

Tooth buzzed about, her smile almost as big as her personality. "Ah! I've been great! Busy, really busy! And Rose! Hi!"

Rose blinked at the beautiful woman in front of her. Tooth's whole body was feathers, ranging from turquoise and green to gold and pink. Even her face had feathers, starting from her nose and up, covering her forehead and acting as her hair. She had a huge gold feather in the middle of her head, and her eyes were a shining pink colour.

Rose stared at those eyes and appeared to ave lost her voice. "Um, I- uh, hi."

Tooth pinched her cheek. "Don't be nervous! I already know you. My fairies have gathered your baby teeth for years! You've grown up to be so beautiful!"

Rose blushed. Tooth was calling _her_ beautiful? "T-thanks. So are you."

Tooth grinned, flashing her perfect pearly whites. "Oh! How sweet, thank you! But really Rose, how can you see all of us? It's certainly been a while since this last happened."

Jack interrupted her. "Yeah, I'll explain everything when we get Sandman and North. Rose is special."

Rose smiled warmly at him. Tooth fluttered her wings and grabbed Rose's hands. "How exciting! I can't wait to hear all about you! We'll leave now! I'm quite busy though, so don't be offended if I break away to-" Tooth's eyes went wide and she called out. "Canada! Section four! Go!"

Rose gave a small laugh and nodded. "Yeah...I see what you mean."

Bunny stepped forward and waved his paw. "Yeah, yeah very nice! Can we go now? We're all busy, let's hurry this thing up."

Before anyone could reply, Bunny hit his foot off the ground twice and they all fell through it.

Rose landed with a thud on the ground, ungracefully. The rest of the Guardians landed softly, and Jack offered a hand to help her up. She stood up and looked over her shoulder.

"Ow," she said, patting her behind. "My arse."

Jack snickered and nudged her. "So classy."

Rose smiled, flashing him a dimpled grin. "Aren't I just?"

Bunny groaned. "Will you two stop it? We've got things to do, hurry this along!"

Rose bit her lip to hide a smile. "Yes, Bunnymund."

The sound of heavy footsteps filled her ears, and the next thing she saw was a large round man with a long white beard and a pair of high-waisted black trousers and a red jumper tucked into them. He had on a black Russian hat, and tattooed on his arms there was the words 'Naughty' and 'Nice'. He yelled and lurched forwards, pulling out two large knives. Rose let out a yelp and jumped back, Jack's arms wrapping around her soothingly. He chuckled and shook his head.

"Relax. He's not going to hurt you, it's just how he says hello."

North strode forward and let out hearty laughter, which eventually trailed off when he looked at Rose. "Vait..." He said, studying her. His accent sounded Russian. "She isn't one of us. Who are you?"

Jack took her hand reassuringly. "Her name's Rose."

"And she sees us? Vonderful...she is special." North said, looking her up and down.

Rose trued to calm her heartbeat, thankful that he'd put the knives away. "S-so, you're Santa?"

North looked at her and waved his large meaty hand. "I prefer North. But yes, I am."

"And you're Russian..." Rose let a giggle escape before she could stop it, and placed a hand over her mouth quickly.

North looked at her through huge eyebrows. "Yes."

Bunny cut in again. "Right, someone get Sandman! I wanna get this over and done with already!"

A few hours later, Rose had been shown around the workshop by North, met the elves and yetis, talked with Tooth, and even attempted to talk to Bunny. Sandman had finally arrived and he shook her hand warmly, giving her a gentle smile. He was patient enough not to bombard her with questions, or rather signs, which she appreciated greatly. Rose held a mug of of hot chocolate in her hand and sat on the couch next to Jack. Everyone stared at her, and she could feel her hands shaking.

"How come you can see us?" Asked Tooth, smiling happily.

Rose took a deep breath. "Before my parents died, they'd tell me stories of you guys. Every night, before I went to bed. I loved them, they were always so amazing, the way my Dad told them. My Dad knew you guys. His name was Jamie Bennett." There was a collective gasp from the other Guardian's at this fact, but she continued speaking. " And I guess that I didn't want to forget those stories after they died. I don't know, but I guess that's why I can see you."

"Oh, I'm so sorry...poor Jamie." Tooth gave her a sympathetic smile, accompanied with all the other slightly saddened looks in the room.

"It's okay. Next question?" Rose said, leaning into Jack. She liked the feel of his cool body against hers, it calmed her down.

Bunny stepped forward and pointed at Jack. "Yeah! How long have you known him?"

Rose looked at him and tried to remember. It felt like she had always known him, and found it hard to remember a time without him. "Um, I don't know... two months? Maybe more? I can't really tell, it's just-"

"Feels like we've known each other for ages." Said Jack, nodding at her.

North raised an eyebrow. "Vait...are you two _together_?"

Rose blushed and scratched her ear nervously. "Yeah."

Jack gave a lop sided grin and put his arm around her waist, pulling her in. Her wild auburn curls fell down her back, swishing with her every movement.

The reactions in the room were certainly mixed: Tooth leaped into the air with a cry of excitement; Bunny shook his head and groaned; North stood with his mouth agape and Sandman bit his lip in worry.

"You are? How cute! Oh, it's a love story! The story of the star-crossed lovers! You guys are-" Tooth said, flying about excitedly.

"Are you bloody serious? You know this can't happen, Jack! It's against the rules!" Bunny shouted, waving his paws about.

Jack de-tangled himself from Rose and stood up, his gaze fierce. "I don't care about the rules."

North stepped forward and placed a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Jack...it is true. You simply cannot be with Rose. It is against the rules. The rules you promised to follow when you became a Guardian. You cannot break them."

Jack hit his hand away and drew back, anger seething through him. Why were they all coming down on him? Why was it against the rules? He looked at them all, breathing quick and fast. "No! I don't care about the rules! Why should I give up on the thing that finally makes me happy? That's- that's not fair!"

Rose stood up and linked her fingers through his, placing a hand on his face. "Jack. Jack, look at me."

Jack looked into her soft brown eyes and placed his forehead against hers, shoulders heaving. "I don't want to lose you. I just got you, Rose."

Rose felt the tears well up in the back of her throat. "I know. I don't want to lose you either."

Sandman gave them a look of pity and sympathy, sadness in his eyes. North and Bunny shifted uneasily; they had never seen Jack this way, so vulnerable. Tooth felt tears pool in her own eyes.

"Jack," She said, fluttering her wings slowly. "You deserve happiness. And I want to see you happy, but it can't work. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Rose, but you can't be with him."

Rose felt the tears trickle down her face as she turned slowly to face her them all. She kept her fingers intertwined with Jack's, rubbing the back of his cold hand softly with her thumb. "Please. Don't do this. He saved my life...we've only just let this happen. Don't destroy it."

North looked at her, broken. He liked this girl, she was strong and fiery underneath. He could tell. It hurt him to see her so sad. "I'm sorry, but I can't do anything. It's the rules."

"Fuck the rules! There has to be another way, _please_." Rose yelled, sobs wracking her frail body.

Tooth looked at North, crying. "P-please, North. Look in the book. Do something. _Anything_."

Bunny groaned and looked at North. "Look in the book. Find a loophole."

North dragged a large hand down his ruddy face and nodded. "Okay. But don't expect a miracle, there might be no loophole."

Rose looked at him and sniffed. "Thank you."

A few minutes later, they were crowded round the book, searching for a way out. Rose was still crying, hugging Jack. His strong arm wrapped around her and he hugged her close, refusing to let her go for anything. If this was his last day with her, he'd spend every second mesmerizing her touch, her kiss, everything. His jaw was set rigid, and he stared at the book intently, reading every word of the small print. They stayed there until it got dark, reading as much pages as they could, but the still had no luck. Jack could feel his hope slip away more and more each second, and when they finally decided there was no way around it, he buried his face in Rose's soft bouncy hair. His hands wrapped around her waist, and she looped her arms around his neck. Her fingers threaded gently through his snow white hair, and she felt her body start to heave, beginning to sob all over again. Jack looked at her and his face crumpled, letting his own tears fall. He didn't even care that the Guardians could see them. They watched on is dismay, Tooth feeling like her own heart was broken. All she wanted was for Jack to be happy. To have someone. But it was against the rules. Even Bunny felt his charade fall apart as he looked at them, holding each other and crying. As much as Jack annoyed him, he never wanted this for him. The poor guy was alone. Sure he had the Guardians, but he was never seen. People walked right through him like he was nothing. And now, he'd finally met someone who could see him, someone who actually liked him, and they were denying them the right to be together. Bunny felt a wave of guilt and sadness wash over him and he looked away, letting the two have their moment. North tapped Sandman and Tooth, signalling them to leave the room.

"We'll let you have some private time." He said, looking down sadly.

When they exited, Jack traced Rose's face with his fingers, looking at every beautiful inch of it. She'd gotten so beautiful since he first saw her, and it was like her personality had just become her. It was written all over her face. He was going to miss her stubbornness and the way she clenched her jaw when she was mad. The way she'd never fail to make him laugh, and the fire in her eyes when she talked about something important. He'd gotten so used to the way she'd cross her arms, or give him that dimpled grin when he made her smile. And now it was going to be taken away from him.

"I'll still see you every night. Even if it's not in the way we want." He said, his voice shaky.

Rose shook her head. "Didn't you read the book? The rules said that you can't be involved with me. It's distracting from your duties. You've been breaking them all this time, you'll get into trouble if you do it more."

"No! No, the book s-said that I can still see you. Because you can see me. I ca-can still visit you." Jack said, their foreheads bent together.

"No, Jack. You can't. The rules said it has to be a child. I'm not a child." Rose cried, her lips shaking as she tried to speak.

Jack looked at her, defeated. "The worst thing is, I can still feel it. Still feel myself falling in love with you. A-and now, I'm never going to get to say those three words. And I know that if we could be together, I'd say them. That's what kills me. That I'm not getting that chance."

Rose tried to laugh and failed. She knew why he didn't just say them now- it wouldn't be the same. It had to be said freely, without the pressure. It was a serious deal, love, and it was something so fickle and dangerously beautiful that when said at the wrong time, could ruin everything. She didn't want that. What she had with Jack, she wanted to preserve it. Remember it for the rest of her life. She placed a hand on his cheek and smiled. "Save it. Save them for someone you can be with, because I promise you'll find them. There's someone out there for everyone, even you. I know you can find them. If it makes any difference, I can feel myself falling for you too. I've only had eighteen years on this Earth, but nothing, and I mean nothing, has made me feel the way you do. And I don't think anything else ever will."

Jack kissed her, pouring his emotions into it. He closed his eyes and pulled her close, his hand travelling up to tangle in her hair. Rose kissed him back, their lips moving together in a pattern infused with pain and longing. She could feel the tears fall down her face, but she didn't care. If this was the last time she was going to do this, she would put everything she had into it. She grabbed his hair in her hands and pulled him even closer, kissing him long and hard. Eventually, they slowed down to a soft and sweet ending, their lips breaking away slightly.

Jack attempted a grin. "I'm going to miss that."

"Me too." Rose gave a teary laugh and took his hand.

The other Guardians walked in slowly and smiled sadly at them. North was just about to speak when suddenly, Tooth interrupted him.

"North. Shh. Look, the man in the moon is here."

The Guardians all looked out the window in the room to see a huge full moon, like a bright light in the pitch black sky. Rose looked too, but all she could see what the moon. No man.

"I'm sorry, the man in the moon?" She said, wiping away her tears.

Jack looked at her. "Yeah, it's basically just the moon to you, but to us lot he's like a...a creator? He made us who we are today. The Guardians. We live by his rules." Jack's voice had turned cold towards the end of the sentence.

"Oh." Rose said.

North waved his big hands to quiet everyone. "I think man in moon has something he wants to say."

The Guardian's all walked up, Jack pulling Rose in front of him, hugging her from behind. He wasn't even sure he cared for what the man in the moon had to say right now, but he walked up anyway.

He looked up at the moon and scoffed. "What? What can you possibly say right now? It's because of you, you and your _stupid_ rules that I can't be happy. That I'm destined to live a life of freezing things over and being ignored. Got a solution, _man in the moon_?" Jack was now shouting at the moon. "HAVE YOU?!"

Rose tugged on his sleeve and begged him to calm down; anger would do nothing. Suddenly, all the Guardian's went quiet as if listening to something. Rose didn't dare interrupt, even though she couldn't hear anything.

After what seemed like ages, the Guardian's mouths all opened and closed, like they'd ate something bad. Their facial expressions had changed to a mix of shock and disbelief, and Rose was itching to know what they'd heard.

"Jack." She tugged his jumper. "Jack, what did he say?"

Jack didn't answer. He stared on blankly, his mind thinking like mad. It was Tooth who spoke up. "He said... you and Jack can be together. But not like this. There's...conditions. Consequences." Her bubbly demeanor was gone, and instead she looked torn.

"Well, what are they?" When nobody answered Rose felt her breathing sped up. "Will someone please tell me?"

Bunny's low voice was next to be heard. "He said for you and Jack to be together, Jack either has to give up being a Guardian forever, or..."

Rose gasped. Jack? Give up being a Guardian? He couldn't, it was part of who he was. There's no way she'd let him do that. There had to be a better way, she just couldn't let him do that. But what was the alternative? "Or?"

Jack's icy cold voice was distant and he stared at her blankly. "Or you die and become a Guardian forever."


	8. Chapter 8

Rose felt her mouth drop in shock and she fumbled, trying to find the words. That was it? That was her choices? Die and leave her life behind, or leave Jack forever? Her brain went into overdrive, searching for a loophole, a way out, anything. She couldn't leave Jack, he was the one thing in her life that was new and exciting, he made her happy and with him she actually had fun. They'd been through a lot, in the few months she'd known him. He was always there for her, always trying to make her smile, or dancing in her room and giving her little snowflakes every time he visited. Most importantly, she was falling in love with him. But she couldn't leave her brother either- he had almost nobody left. She remembered when they were younger, they'd made a pact never to leave each other. The memory of a young Rose and David sitting underneath a fort of blankets and pillows, huddling together and linking pinkies in a promise popped into her mind, and she thought harder, her mind buzzing with decisions.

"What? Die or lose you? But, but I can't..." Rose stared at Jack, her strong resolve crumbling. What the hell was she meant to do?

Jack looked at her with hard eyes, his lips set in stone. "You have to. That's what he says." His voice was filled with resentment and his fists lay clenched at his side in anger.

"Jack, no! I-I can't! You can't make me choose between-"

"I'm not making you choose! It's _him!_ Besides, there's nothing to choose. I'm going to have to leave you."Jack stared at the moon with fury in his eyes.

Rose grabbed his hand in a desperate attempt to get him to look at her. She felt tears in her eyes but she forced them back, she wasn't going to let everyone see her breakdown again. She could find a loophole, she knew she could. She just had to think. "Jack, what do you mean? I'm _not_ letting you leave!"

Jack whirled to face her and shouted, "Well what else are we supposed to do? Let you die? 'Cause if that's how you think this is going down then you're wrong, Rose!"

"No! I don't want to die, Jack! But I don't want to live without you either!" She yelled, pulling at his jumper.

Jack dragged a hand down his face and looked at her sadly, his eyes filled with pain. His voice was soft, but still held the anger. "I know. But we don't have a choice. I'm not letting you die, Rose. I can't. This'll be our last night together."

Rose drew her hand back and slapped him across the face, her breath hitching with sobs. "Jack Frost, you shut your mouth! Don't say it, don't! You're not leaving me, you are _not leaving me!_"

Jack rubbed his cheek and reached out, drawing Rose into a hug. Her body shook with sobs and he hugged her close, burying his face in her hair. "I'm sorry, Rose."

North stepped forward and placed a huge hand on Rose's shoulder, pity in his eyes. "I am sorry, Rose. But it cannot be, and I think you know that. You have to let go and move on. Man in moon gave you the choices, there is nothing else we can do."

Rose looked up at him, her lips trembling. "Nothing? No loophole?"

Tooth fluttered forwards nervously as North shook his head sadly. "Well," She said, pink eyes shining with tears. "You could always become a Guardian. It's not as bad as it seems, Rose."

Jack looked up and advanced towards Tooth, disbelief in his voice. "What? Are you kidding? I'm not letting her be a Guardian!"

Bunny stepped forwards. "What's wrong with being a Guardian? I think Tooth's got a point; Rose could become one of us, Jack. Think, she could be with you forever."

Jack turned and seethed, "If you say one more word I will personally send a slither of ice right through your heart."

Tooth gasped and flew backwards, behind North. "Jack, how could you say that?"

"Have all of you forgotten Rose is only seventeen? She's eighteen this year. Her whole life is full of possibilities and dreams, new people to meet and new people...to love. And you want her to throw that all away? To become dead to her family, invisible to everyone but us? Have you all forgotten what it was like to be human? She has so much ahead of her! Jobs, marriage...a family. She can't have those things if she's a Guardian." Jack said, his voice becoming more tormented with each word.

The Guardians hung their head in shame and looked at Rose, who was clinging to Jack's hand with all her strength. She had tears dripping down her face as she watched them speak. She wished she knew what to do. She wished she didn't have a brother, so she could just cut all ties and be with Jack. She wished she'd never met Jack, so she wouldn't have to be standing here, making the biggest decision of her life. No matter what she did, someone would get hurt. That summed her up exactly: Rose Bennett, walking disaster.

She tucked a curl of fiery hair behind her eyes and steadied her voice. "It's true. I want those things is life. I love my brother, he's been through so much...I can't leave him. But I can't leave Jack either. You all say I should leave David and come be with Jack, and believe me I want to. More than anything, but I can't. I don't think you realize how much this means, how much I'd be giving up, in both choices. If I stayed with Jack, I'd be leaving my only family. I'd be giving up a life I've got to live. And If I left Jack, I'd be giving up the only really amazing thing in my life. This boy has become my best friend. My only friend, in fact. And to throw that all away... I'm not sure I'd ever get over that. So where does that leave me? Stuck in the middle. Forced to make a choice of love or family. No mater what I do someone's going to get hurt, and I don't want that, not for anyone." Rose faced Jack. "If I could turn back time, I'd have walked away that day when we met. Not because I don't want to be with you, but because I could have spared you all this. Spared you all this pain. I'm so sorry, Jack. For everything."

Jack cupped her face with his cold hand and looked at her with desperate eyes, the once ever-present hope now draining at an alarming rate. "Rose, I don't want to leave you. Do you know what it's like to finally have someone? I've been alive for so long, and I've been alone for most of my life. With you, I wasn't so alone anymore. As much as I want you to stay with me, I know you can't. I'd never ask that of you. But... I don't know if I could leave you, either." Giving a humorless chuckle, Jack shook his head. "So where does that leave me?"

Bunnymund bowed his head and looked up, the hardness of his face melted away. "We'll help you through it, Jack. Promise." Tooth and North nodded in agreement.

Rose tilted her head. "What about me? Who's going to help me through it? My first love and my first heartbreak. In the one go. They say you never forget those."

Jack kissed her forehead and drew back. "You'll meet someone new."

"I don't want to meet someone new. I want you." She said, looking up at him with her soft brown eyes.

Tooth shook her feathered head. "You can't have him. The man in the moon has made his decision, Rose. I'm sorry."

Rose bared her teeth and felt something close to a snarl escape her throat. Before she knew what she was doing, she had pinned a very surprised Tooth against the wall, he fingers wrapped around Tooth's neck. "Fuck the man in the moon."

Jack grabbed Rose's waist and yanked her back, letting Tooth free. Rose shook her head and bit her tongue, feeling already ashamed at her outburst. "I'm so sorry, Tooth. I never meant that, I'm just so sick of all this. All I want is to be with Jack. Why is that such a crime?"

Tooth rubbed her neck and nodded, accepting the apology. Her voice was weak, but she continued on anyway. "I don't know, but it just is. You have to accept that, Rose. And you have to make a choice, there's no other way."

Jack's voice was faint, barely able to be heard. "There's one way."

North raised his head, arms crossed. "What way?"

Jack clenched his staff and took a deep breath, his voice stronger. "I give up being a Guardian."

Bunny rushed forward and pinned him to the wall, his eyes wild. "Don't be an idiot! You can't do that!"

Jack pushed Bunny back with surprising force and stared at him with empty eyes. "I can do it. It was one of the choices remember? Rose wasn't the only one with a decision."

Tooth flew up to him and placed a hand on his cheek, shaking her head. "Jack." She said, her voice soft. "Please, you can't do that. The Guardians need you. The kids need you."

Jack closed his eyes and sighed, opening them again. "You managed years without me, you can manage again. Besides, I'm pretty much invisible anyway, what difference does it make?"

Bunny growled at him, hand itching toward his boomerangs. Was Jack mad? He couldn't give up being a Guardian for some girl! "It makes a huge difference! Who's gonna make snow days? Who's gonna make the kids laugh and smile? Who's gonna keep them having fun?"

Jack clenched his staff tightly. "The man in the moon chooses people. He can choose someone else. He doesn't need me."

North shook Jack by the shoulders. "_We_ need you. Isn't that enough?"

Jack exhaled and shook his head, groaning internally. He had no idea why he said it in the first place. He loved being a Guardian, he did, it was part of who he was. And making kids smile, that's what kept him going. But he knew there was a time not that long ago where he'd kill to give it up. Kill to be seen. Now he had that chance, and he'd get to be with Rose. That was good, wasn't it? The girl who sent him head over heels. But what if they didn't work out? What if he never saw the Guardians again? Jack tried to assemble his thoughts to tackle them one at a time, but they seemed to lurch at him every second. His head buzzed with 'What if's' and the only thing he could really think about was Rose. He'd get to be human. Which meant he'd be able to settle down, grow old and have a family. It also meant he'd eventually die. Lose his powers. But he'd have so many years of a life he never got to live, could this be the right choice?

He was vaguely aware of people shouting when he opened his eyes, but the only voice that he heard clearly was Rose's. "Jack," She said. "Please, they're right. You can't give all this up! Just look at it all! It's beautiful, and magic and nothing can compare with it."

"You can." He said simply.

Rose gave him a dimpled smile, lips trembling. "Listen to me. You'll never see them again, Jack. Or even if you do you'll never get to be like them again. Being a Guardian is a once in a lifetime thing, and it doesn't just happen to anyone. You were chosen for this life Jack, I can't take this away from you."

"You're not. This is my choice, Rose. I'm aware of what I'm giving up, I know what this all means. You're worth it." He said, holding her warm soft hand in his cool one.

Bunny took a step forward and shook his hands in frustration. "She's just a bloody girl, mate! You can't give this all up for her!"

Jack didn't even have to turn his head. As soon as the words left Bunny's mouth, Jack raised his staff and aimed at Bunny, his anger flowing through it. Within seconds, what could only be described as a huge icicle covered in spikes and sharp shard of ice was pinning Bunny to the wall, the point right against his neck. "Next time it'll be your heart." He said coldly.

North took a step back and looked at Jack with something that seemed like fear in his eyes. He knew Jack could be dangerous, but he couldn't mean that could he? How much did this girl mean to him? "Shostakovich...Jack, what are you doing?! You could have killed Bunny!"

"Could have, but didn't. I'm tired of this, North. I just want to be with her, and the only way that can happen is if she dies, or if Jack Frost dies." Jack looked at the Guardians with pain and sadness in his eyes. He looked beaten and defeated. His eyes held no joy, in fact they looked to be swimming in anguish. "I love this life, and I love you guys and I love being Jack Frost. But I miss being human, North. I don't know if I'm just meant to be Jack Frost, but I know I wasn't always him. At one point, I was just Jack. Normal, goofy big brother Jack. I can get that back, now."

Tooth fluttered over to North to take his sword, using it to chop away the end of Jack's ice. When there was enough room to move, Bunny escaped and panted, his paws on his knees, staring at Jack with a mix of pity and wariness. "Jack, mate. Listen. Being a Guardian is part of who you are now! Yeah, you were once that guy, but that's not who you are now. I know you, and I know you'd miss this. You'd miss it all, Jack, and you'd never get it back. And it would kill you inside. The man in the moon doesn't do do-overs, just think about what you're doing!"

Jack looked at them all and his breathing quickened. His head was thumping with decision, much like Rose's. She's stayed quiet during this, hoping Jack friends could talk more sense into him. She's rather live a thousand lifetimes alone than let him give up one moment of this life. She knew he complained and she knew sometimes he hated it, but she could see the joys in his eyes when he made someone smile. That famous lop-sided grin when he waved his hand and snow fell and snowflakes danced in the air. Despite what he said, she knew he loved being Jack Frost. And she was never, even for a second, going to take that away from him. Or the kids, for that matter.

Rose placed a hand on his chest and coaxed his attention onto her. She kept her voice gentle and calm, noticing his wild eyes. "Jack, go for a walk. Or a fly, whatever. Just go outside and clear your head, okay? You need the space right now. I'll be here when you get back. Go."

Jack looked at her gratefully and nodded, giving her a soft kiss before jumping out the window, using the wind to carry him away. When he was gone, she turned to the others. "I'm sorry, he just needed the space from this."

Tooth fluttered over and squeezed her hand. "I know. You need the space too, do you want us to leave?"

Rose was just about to thank her when Bunnymund walked over grabbing her by the shoulder. "No." He interrupted. "You're not going anywhere. We have to talk."

Rose looked up at him, wiping the tears from her eyes. She was so sick of crying. Why did it seem she always ended up in tears? Were things really that bad? She mentally noted not to cry unless it was happy tears from this moment on. She looked into bunny's hard eyes and nodded. "What is it?"

"You need to tell Jack you don't want to see him anymore." He said, voice cold as the ice that was earlier pinned against his throat.

"What? Why?" Rose said, pulling herself free from Bunny's grip.

"Why do you think? He's going to go and give all this up for you, Rose. And I know you don't want to hear this, but he'll regret it. This life is a part of him, and no matter how much he loves you or wants to be human, he's inevitably going to want his old life back. And he won't be able to get it if he chooses you."

Rose looked at him in realization. Suddenly, it was as if a huge weight had been placed on her chest, and she could swear her legs were buckling under the weight of it. It was one of those moments when everything became clear but distant at the same time, and she was finding it hard to use her voice. "You want me to lie to him...Bunnymund, it'll break his heart! I can't turn him away like that, what am I supposed to say?"

"I might break his heart, but he'll have enough time to get over it and heal. We'll be here for him, I swear. But we can't let him do this to himself, it'll have so many consequences, can't you see? You have to do this. Say what you have to, heck, tell him it was all a lie. An experiment, anything. Tell him you never really liked him, tell him he repulses you. That he's not natural. Just make it believable. Please." Bunny looked at her with desperation in his eyes, willing her to understand and agree.

Rose looked at Tooth and North who were both standing still, grave looks upon their faces. "Is this true? Will I have to do this?"

Tooth nodded. "I'm so sorry, Rose, but it has to be done. Jack wants to give this all up for you, so if we take you out of the equation..."

"Then he'll stay a Guardian." Rose finished faintly.

Taking her hand in his furry paw, Bunny gave it a squeeze. "I'm sorry," He said, his eyes softening. "But if he means anything to you then you'll do this."

"I'll do it." Rose said, after much silence. "I'll break his heart."

Bunny hugged her and quickly let go, coughing and crossing his arms over in an attempt to rescue his masculinity. He nodded and lifted his foot. "Yeah, yeah good. Thank you."

"If it'll save him I'll do it. But I'd like to go home before he comes back, to prepare and stuff. Would you mind-?"

Bunny tapped his foot twice, creating a large hole in the middle of the floor. "No problem. When you're ready."

Rose thanked him and gave North and Tooth a quick hug before she left. "Goodbye, guys. Take care of him for me."

"We will." Tooth said, giving her a teary laugh.

Rose walked back to the whole and with a deep breath, jumped into the blackness.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's note: Hey guys! Sorry if this took a while, but I have a lot of homework, so I've decided to aim to post a chapter a week. I just wanted to say thank you to you all who have reviewed, favourited and followed, because it means a lot. This isn't the last chapter, so don't worry! You have one more to go :) If there's any errors or if you guys have any questions, or even if you just want to say hi, don't be afraid to send me a message. I would just like to thank you all for the reviews, they keep me going! So please, please _please _give a review, even if it's a bad one. They brighten up my day, I swear c: I'd also like to apologise for not including her brother much, I know that I've not explored him as much as I could. He'll be in the last chapter, at least! Thanks again, hope you enjoy, and don't be afraid to give me tips to make my writing better!**

Rose paced her room, biting her fingernails nervously. Her head thumped and she groaned, rapping her knuckles off the window ledge continuously, trying to think clearly. How much time did she have till Jack came back? Would it be enough to make everything believable? Rose put her head in her hands and sighed sadly. She felt disgusted with herself, the thoughts of the cruel words she was about to say whirling around in her head. She didn't know if she'd be able to say them to him. How could she? He was her best friend, her boyfriend and he'd saved her life, yet here she was going to break his heart. Rose stiffened. It's for him, she said, calming herself. It's to save him. She walked over to her mirror and exhaled, studying her reflection. She wiped off the smudged eyeliner with her fingers and gave her hair a quick brush. When she looked more presentable, she glared at her own reflection. More narrowed eyes, she thought. She stood there, trying to look at fierce as possible. She even curled her lip and spoke in nasty tones, repeating what she had planned to say. The disgust in her voice shocked her; she had no idea she could ever make herself like this. It frightened her, but she needed to do it. It had to be done if she wanted to save him. Just as she turned around, away from the mirror, Jack flew in from her window and walked towards her, arms open.

He looked tired and beaten up, like the wind had flung him about like a rag-doll. He spoke softly."Hi."

Rose felt a flinch of pity and pushed it down, focusing on her task. She looked at him and glared. "Don't."

Jack took a step back and raised his hands in confusion. "What? I only wanted a hug, Rose." Jack made to hug her again.

Rose looked at him with sharp eyes and a deadly anger in her voice. "I said, _**don't**_."

Astonished, Jack blinked. What the hell happened to Rose? Why was she so...different? This wasn't the loving girl he'd come to know, this was something else. "W-what's going on? Why won't you touch me?"

Rose walked up to him and sneered. "Your skin is like ice. It's revolting."

The air left Jack's lungs. Rose had never said anything like that to him before, why now? What happened to her? "Rose, what's wrong with you?"

"Wrong with me?" Rose gave a short humorless laugh. "You must be kidding. Have you seen yourself? You're a freak, Jack. A mistake."

Jack glared and shook his head at her, his eyes filling with anger. "No, no. Something's up with you, Rose. This isn't you saying this."

"This is _exactly _me saying this, Jack." She sneered, stepping towards him, looking at him like he was just an annoying stray that she couldn't get rid of.

Jack took her shoulders and shook her gently, looking into her eyes, as if trying to search for _his_ Rose. "Rose, tell me what's wrong! I can help you, but you have to tell me. Why are you acting like this? What happened? Did someone hurt you? Did I do something wrong?"

Rose shook him off roughly and stared loathsomely at him. "Don't touch me! I told you, I don't want your freaky dead hands anywhere near me."

Jack flinched and Rose saw him look at his hands for a moment, then he tilted his head up and looked at her with sad eyes. "I'm not dead." He said quietly.

Rose felt her heart crumble at the look on his face. She'd give anything to throw away this charade and just hug him, let him know everything was going to be OK. But she couldn't. She needed to break him even further. She walked up to him crossed her arms, attempting to put as much venom into her voice as she could. "Oh, have I hit a nerve? Sorry, hun." She cooed softly, staring at him with emotionless eyes. "But it's true. You're just a cold, dead _freak._"

The air left Jack's lungs and he shuddered. Why was she doing this? Why was she hurting him? What had he done? "H-how can you say that? I mean, I mean I thought that...I thought that-"

"You thought I liked you? How cute." She sneered, her lip curling. She leaned into his ear, her voice a deadly whisper. "I never liked you. Heck, I never even _wanted_ you. Why would I? You're useless. All the other Guardians, they at least _do_ something. What do you do, apart from snow days? Nothing. You're a waste of space, Jack, and a waste of my time. It was fun at first, but now it's too serious. A joke can only be taken so far, you know?"

Jack gasped and stepped back, his breath coming out in short pants. Every word stabbed him, her venomous words seared into his mind. Every time he blinked he heard her vulgar voice in his ear, whispering them again. He gripped his staff tightly, trying to keep his balance. "Stop this. Stop it! Please..."

Rose closed her eyes and forced herself to keep going. It'll be over soon, she told herself. However, as she stared at Jack's hurt-filled eyes and clenched jaw, she felt her eyes water. Don't let him see you cry, He'll know it's fake, she thought determinedly. It was breaking her heart to see how each word cut him deeper, his life falling apart bit by bit.

Still, she soldiered on. _"_It was all a joke, Jack. A game if you like. I never liked you, I just wanted to try you out, see what fun I could have. And it was fun, especially when I could see in your eyes how happy you were. How much you thought it was all real. It's really made this moment special, Jack, it really has. You're crumbling, look at you! I must admit, I never expected you to fall in love with me. That was a surprise, and it did ruin the game a bit...it made it too serious for it to be amusing anymore. But I had a good time, anyway!" Closing the gap between them, she tilted his head up with a finger, her facade shaking when she saw the tears falling down his face, those electric blue eyes she'd grown to love now swirling with pain. "Think, Jack. Why would I ever love you? You're dead. Ice cold like a corpse. Your skin is just..." Rose shuddered. "You're unnatural. A freak of nature, just like the rest of them. Bunny was right, you should have left me, for your own sake. But that big ol' heart of yours got in the way. Silly really. You could have spared yourself all this, if you left that day when we met. But then again, I suppose I could have spared it, too. This was a lot more fun though. You're nothing but an experiment to me Jack, just something I messed with to pass time. _I never wanted to be with you_."

Jack looked at her, tears clouding his vision. A joke. He shook his head at her words, as if denying them would somehow turn everything back to normal. She was all he had, it couldn't end like this. She had to be lying, everything they had shared together, there was no way you could fake that. Half of him wanted to break down and shake her till she admitted that she didn't mean any of it, that it was all a lie. The other half of him agreed with her, his own cold voice in his head whispering that she was right, all he was was a useless freak. He stared at her face, wondering how her usually smiling features had transformed into this mask of hatred and revulsion. Her soft brown eyes were now hardened, but Jack could see a glint of sadness in there. His Rose was still there, he just had to get her. She didn't mean this, she couldn't. It had to be a mistake, Rose would never want to hurt him. His head whirred and he wished everything would just slow down; why was everything moving so fast?

The room seemed to spin and he sank down against her wall his hands clenching his hair painfully, trying to shut her voice out, along with his own. "Please..." He said quietly, through clenched teeth as sobs wracked his body. Rose was level with him, her eyes letting though that glimpse of sadness again. "D-don't do this. Give it up. You're lying, you have to be lying, Rose! You h-have to be...what we've shared, all those times, dancing in your room, skating on the rink, falling asleep together, the snowflakes...everything! It's all real, y-you can't fake that. I know you feel it too, don't you dare try to tell me this is one-sided! I've seen you laugh, and I've seen you cry. I've been there for you through everything, we've talked and we've fought. Don't give it all up, please...I don't care why you're doing this. All I ask is that you stop. We can work something out, I promise...I promise, Rose, _please_..."

Rose closed her eyes as she felt her lips quiver. She wanted nothing more that to hold him in her arms and kiss away his tears, show him that she still wanted to be with him. Bunny's words rang clear in her head, and she took a deep breath to calm herself. Her heart ached for him, and her arms yearned to hug him. It hurt her deeper than anything else, to see him cry. He always tried to be the strong one for her, and she couldn't count the amount of times he'd stuck with her when he should've walked away. He'd been so kind and so loving with her, adding more excitement and joy into her life with every second. And here she was, breaking his heart all because the man in moon said she couldn't be in love with him. She thought of him and she filled with anger, the bitterness rising in her. She'd never asked for much in life. She'd been a good person. Why was it that as soon as she met someone who made her feel giddy and gave her butterflies, and who made her _happy_, it was ripped away from her? Was that what love was meant to be like? Is that what life was supposed to be? She squeezed her eyes to hold back the tears. Slowly, she opened them again. "I've told you. This is all real, Jack. Everything I'm saying to you now is the truth. It was the relationship that was a lie. What do you think I was going to do? I can't have kids with you because I'm human, I can't marry you because I'm human. I can't be with you because I'm human. Did you think I was going to give up being human for you? Sorry, Jack, but no. There are many things I want in life more than you. You were a bit of fun to hold back boredom. I was never going to stay with you. And I sure as hell wasn't going to let you become human to stay with me! That'd mean I'd have to confess then and there and always have you around, or I'd have to keep up the charade and stay with you. I'm sorry for getting it get this far, I am. But I don't feel guilty. This was never anything more than a game to me. One that I've won."

No. This couldn't just be a game. He knew Rose, he knew how she thought, how she felt. She was his best friend, the only one he felt understood him. She wouldn't say this, she'd never string him along, would she? No, no, NO! She was lying, she had to be lying! Jack whispered it to himself again an again, wishing for it to be true. However, with every poisoned word that left her mouth, that knife in his heart twisted and pushed deeper. Doubt crept into his mind- what if she was telling the truth? What if it all meant nothing to her? It was just a game, a game he so stupidly lost? The thought was so heartbreaking that Jack clutched at his heart with one hand, trying to remove the imaginary knife. He wished he had been stabbed for real. The physical pain would be easier than this. Anything would be easier than this. He stood up weakly, wiping the tears from him face. He had a sudden thought and pulled a small ice sculpture from his pocket. He handed it to Rose and looked at her, willing her to show him she still needed him. "I made it earlier. I was going to give you it tonight. It's magic, it won't melt or break. Keep it."

Rose looked at the small sculpture in her hand. It was of her and Jack, the first day they met. She had her arms wrapped around his neck, and he was staring at her with a lop-sided grin. The detail was impeccable, Jack had included everything, even her book sitting in his pocket. He's carved it so carefully, capturing her completely. The ice-her even had long wild hair, each curl inscribed with detail. It was beautiful. She traced it with he fingers gently and exhaled in shock; she'd never in her life gotten something so amazing. She steadied her breathing and thrust it back at him, her voice quiet. "Keep it."

Jack felt like he'd been punched. All the air left his lungs and he bowed his head. If she refused that, she never liked him. The first day they met, the most important day he'd had in a long time. And she threw it away like it was nothing. It all meant nothing. All his time, his feelings...wasted. He'd fallen for Rose, not this girl. He didn't think he'd ever get his Rose back. Jack's voice turned empty and he pushed it back towards her. "No. I made it for you, so it's yours. Do what you want with it, it doesn't matter anymore. I'm sorry I got tangled up in your little game, Rose. I'm sorry I ever hit your book with a snowball that day. I'm sorry for everything." Jack stepped close to her and put a hand on her face, but she didn't flinch. She looked at him, and he wished he had met her as a human. He wished he knew what had turned her into this cunning, deceitful person. He wished she was his Rose again. As he spoke, he saw that facade crumble again and gave a tight smile. He knew if he went back in time, if he had another chance, he's still fall for that sweet feisty girl with the flame red hair. That would always be his Rose, and he'd hold onto the memories with her till the end of time."But I'll never be sorry that I love you." Jack placed his lips against hers softly and drew back, sadness etched on his face. Without saying another word, he leaped out the window and disappeared.

Rose touched her lips and gasped. Had she heard right? She sank down to the floor, clutching the sculpture in her hand. The words whirred round in her head, lurching at her every second. She never thought three words could have such an impact on her. Yet here she sat, the memory of Jack's cool lips on hers still fresh. He loved her. He **loved **her. She always thought she'd be terrified to hear that. She'd often thought as love as a dangerous thing, something that could blind you with it's beauty then destroy you in a matter of seconds. It was fickle and complicated, and nobody could ever fully understand it. Hearing Jack saying those words though, something changed inside her. She felt a warmth spread through her body and placed a hand over her heart, feeling it flutter, like a bird desperate to escape a cage. Rose felt a smile stretch across her face, but at the same time her body heaved with sobs. She cried, wishing she could bring Jack back and apologize and explain to him. The sculpture remained in her hands, as perfect as the real day they met. She looked at it fondly and cried more, never hating the man in the moon more than she did right then. Because hearing those three perfect words made he realize something. She was madly in love with Jack Frost.


	10. Chapter 10

A year had passed since that night. 365 days, and all of them spent without Jack. Even now, she still felt numb, like a hole was inside her, one that couldn't be filled. She was just a vessel, nothing inside her anymore. Empty. No more tears to shed, only the overwhelming sadness that overcame her each night as she waited by the window, hoping for his return. But each night, there was nothing. Nobody there to come get her and whisk her off into the night. Rose became withdrawn and alone, shut off from the outside world. She felt like a part of her was missing, like she couldn't be whole unless Jack was with her. Her heart seemed to throb and twist with loneliness, and her arms yearned to hold Jack. To feel him, the touch of his ice cold skin on hers. Every fiber of her being missed him, but still she carried on, forcing herself to live. She wasn't going to give up, no matter how many times the thought crossed her mind. Doing so wouldn't give her Jack. And it wouldn't be what he wanted anyway. He wanted her to live, move on...have a family. Rose knew that she wanted that. But right now all she wanted was him. They fit together like puzzle pieces, bringing out the best parts in each other. She missed him more than she thought humanly possible, the memories of their time flashing in her mind like a never ending movie. Flashback after flashback of his lop-sided smile, his light chuckle, the feeling of their lips touching. Guilt was a storm inside her, ripping and tearing at her more with time. She clutched the ice statue in her hands, fingers absentmindedly trailing across the delicate features, memories flushing her head again. She remembered the nights when the rage filled her, and she'd slam the statue off the wall and floor repeatedly, but still it didn't break. She was glad of that now, she didn't have much to remember Jack by. No photos, or voicemails, only memories and the little gifts he gave her. David knew there was something wrong, but she never told him what. She knew he was worried, she could hear him murmur to himself about the house, and once he even tried to give her a book, begging her to read. To do something. Anything part from stare out the window. No, she couldn't tell him. He wouldn't believe her anyway, the tales of the Guardians were exactly that to him- tales. Besides, this way it could protect him. If Pitch or some other thing out there knew that he knew...Rose had read enough books to know what would happen. She was glad for the space he gave her, she didn't feel alive enough to even talk to anyone else. She was just empty, a broken shell of the girl she was with Jack. He'd stormed into her mediocre life, filled it with something real, something more, then left, leaving behind pain and tears. Rose knew it wasn't his fault of course, if anything it was the man in the moon's. And hers. It tormented her every second to think of what she'd done to Jack, breaking his heart and laughing like it was a joke. Honestly, it tore her up inside. She'd hurt the only one who ever thought more of her. He saw past her quiet book-girl demeanor for who she really was. He saw beneath her, the fear and her loneliness, and he stayed with her. He saved her. He loved her. And she destroyed it all, because she loved him too much to keep him. For the first month, it snowed. It was gentle, and soft, and it seemed mournful to her, in it's light decent. She would awake to snowflakes on her windowsill, or patterns n the frost, a reminder that he was still there. However, as time passed and the bags under her eyes got bigger, the snow no longer was gentle. It was gaining power, becoming wild and ruthless, and the snowflakes disappeared.

Jack sat on the branch of the tallest tree, his face blank. He closed his eyes slowly and opened them, anger and sadness swirling inside him. His chest felt empty, like there was no heart in there. Just space. Emptiness. One year without her. One year of pain and torment, the broken shards of his heart disintegrating as he remembered each poisonous word that left her mouth. He hated her, but he loved her. Stuck in a vicious cycle of wanting to take her in his arms and kiss her, or freeze her heart. Jack shivered. No matter what she said to him, no matter how much she hurt him, he'd never kill her. He loved her. A difficult, painful forbidden love at that, but still the only real love he had. As the days passed for him, Jack found the self pity inside him give way to anger and self loathing. A freak. That's exactly what he was. Why did he ever think she could really love him? He used to leave snowflakes on her windowsill, a sign he was still there. Still cared. Not anymore. He excluded himself from everyone, and everything. The only thing he could feel was the numbness inside him, like a giant pit. Nothing could fill it. Not even the laughter of kids, or the smooth caress of Tooth's hands on his cheeks, her voice whispering sweet nothings in his ear. He gave up on even trying to feel anymore, for the only emotion he could feel was pain. It coursed through his veins, anger and dejection bubbling in him like a volcano. So he shut them off. When he couldn't feel, it made it easier. His mind no longer thunk of her, he was no longer trapped by emotions. But switching off his emotions had a downside: he no longer cared about fun. The snow he cast now wasn't light and soft, instead it was heavy and wild, blowing ferociously with the heavy winds. He iced the roads and pavements with an ice that never melted. In his depression, cars crashed, and people were lost in his storms. The kids no longer laughed when they saw snow, the very sight of it terrified them. Jack could feel the guilt inside him, demanding to be felt. But he pushed it down with a sigh. Let the guilt through, and he'd let the loneliness through as well. If he did that, he wasn't sure how long it'd be until he could fix himself. Even if he somehow managed to, the guilt would probably destroy him anyway. Jack sighed and tapped his staff on the trunk of the tree. He wished he could go back. He wished it was all a lie, that he could just go to her window, sweep her up and fly away to a world where they could make their own decisions. Angrily, he stared up at the moon.

"Why did you have to do this?" He seethed. "I-I'm stuck here, not knowing what to do, or even...or even who the hell I am! I thought she was the one...the one for me..but it wasn't true. You knew that didn't you? And you let me fall in love with her! Why? WHY?!"

Jack let his head fall back as his chest rose and fell silently. He didn't know he was crying until the tears rolled off his face, onto the collar of his electric blue jumper. A voice entered his head, quiet and distant, ringing with authority. _I knew nothing, Jack Frost. It was your own fault you fell for her, do not take your anger out on me. Remember, I am your creator, and I could kill you faster than a blink._

Jack scoffed. "Why don't you? Just do it. I don't even care anymore. I don't think I can live like this anyway. I can- I can feel it all inside of me. So much _pain_...What choice do I have?"

_You must stop this, Jack. The storms, your rage-it's killing people. Remember your center. You've shut yourself away from everything that matters; you friends, the children, everything. Stop this._

Jack gave a humorless laugh that gave way to a few sobs. He pulled his hood over his head, wishing the blackness would swallow him up. "I _know_ it's killing people. Innocent people. I hate myself for what I'm doing, but I know that...that if I let myself feel it all, i'll destroy me. I-I'm not ready yet. I feel like it's all bubbling up inside me, ready to burst through and consume me and I-I don't know if...I don't know if I can survive that."

He waited for an answer, but none came. Manny was gone, just a fading voice in his head. Jack groaned in frustration and punched the tree trunk, surprised to find his hand go right into it. He sighed, the energy leaving his body like water out of cupped hands. He pulled his arm out roughly, the ragged edges of wood ripping through his sleeve into his skin. The blood poured down, but he didn't care. It was barely painful to him, just a dull throb. He ran a hand through his hair and squeezed his eyes shut, opening them again after a few seconds. Just as he was about to leave, his eyes caught sight of the frost around the remains of the trunk. It wasn't his usual style of swirls and leafs, no, it was something else. It was roses.

**Authors note: I know I said this would be the last chapter. I lied. There's at least two or three more. Sorry, thanks for the reviews, I hope you ejoy the story.**


	11. Chapter 11

Jack walked into the Warren, his breathing shaky. He hadn't been there since the day with Rose, his heart skipping as he thought about it. He loved the Warren, but he didn't fit in. It was a place for hope, new beginnings, and Jack was a walking sack of depression and rage. He walked tentatively onto the grass, and not three seconds later Bunny was there, his mouth agape in shock.

"Jack!" Bunny fumbled for words. "It's, uh, it's good to see you."

Jack lifted his head. "Yeah."

"So, um..." Bunny stepped towards him. "How have you been?"

Jack looked at him with dead eyes. "Bad."

"Yeah, yeah sorry for asking. That was stupid." Bunny stood warily. We wasn't sure how to approach Jack, it had been over a year since he saw him.

Nodding, Jack dismissed it. He felt uncomfortable, an awkward silence hanging in the air. "I'm alone, Bunny. The man in the moon says I need to start being with you guys again. I'm ruining things."

Bunny tried to laugh and placed a hand on Jack's shoulder, removing it immediately when Jack shot him a look. "Right, sorry. Well, we're always happy to take you in, Jack. You know that."

"I know." Jack looked at him with sorrow in his eyes. "You wouldn't want me now though."

"Why not?" Bunny said. "Of-of course we do! You're our family, Jack."

"Bunny people have died because of me." Jack said it simply, feeling a shudder run through his body as he said it.

"W-what?"

"My grief, my anger, it's turned the world into some sort of eternal winter. Cars have crashed on the ice, people have died in the snow storms, fallen through lakes-" Jack broke up with a laboured breath. When he thought about that, thought about her, it threatened to let loose his emotions.

Bunny steadied his voice and stood up to his full height. "Jack. It's not your fault those people died. You're sick, look at you. It's a broken heart, and it'll take time to heal. We'll help you keep it contained, don't worry."

"Don't worry? Don't worry? Bunny I'm a time-bomb. I'm bubbling under the surface, trying to distract myself from thinking about her, but that's really hard to do when she's _all I think about_. Bunny, I love her. I miss her so much, you can't even imagine what it feels like. I miss talking to her, the feel of her skin, her dimples, everything. It's like someone's ripped me in half, but without her, this half is just the bad things. It's just lonely, Bunny. I'm always so _alone_." Jack's voice hitched and he took a few shaky breaths, his hands shaking with the effort to remain calm.

Bunny stepped in front of Jack and took his shoulders gently. He forced Jack to look at him, pity growing inside him as he stared at the lifeless eyes. They were once full of fun and joy, shining and swirling with adventure and mischief. Now they were dull, like someone had dialed down the blue. His skin was still as pale, his hair still white, but this wasn't Jack. There was no lop-sided smile, no easy laugh or leaning on the staff he guarded so dearly. No, this Jack was tired and finished, alone and distraught, the sadness of three hundred years upon his shoulders. "You are never alone, Jack Frost. Never. You have the Guardians, you'll always have us, okay? Now this girl, she came in and strung you along, broke your heart. Don't let that ruin who you are."

"I don't even know who I am anymore. That's the problem. Without her, I just feel...different." Jack let a tear roll down his face. His body was limp as Bunny held him, and he wished he could just sleep and not wake up until everything was better again. With each beat, his heart felt like it was getting stabbed, and Rose's words whirred round in his mind, contrasting with all the memories of her, smiling, laughing, jumping on her bed. How could someone so beautiful turn into something so ugly?

"You were Jack Frost before her. You can be Jack Frost after her, too." Bunny said hopefully. The truth was, this Jack was terrifying. He was draining Bunny, not even the positive energy of hope and the Warren could break down Jack's walls. His first heartbreak had taken a huge toll on him, and Bunny felt his insides twist with guilt. This was his fault. He made Rose say those things.

"I was invisible before her. I'm invisible after her. That's what I'm always going to be...just some invisible myth. Faded into the backround." Jack whispered, leaning heavily on Bunny. He felt completely drained, like he was fighting a loosing battle. Bunny tried to speak, but Jack stopped him. "I would have given it all up for her. All of this. You have no idea what it felt like to be seen by someone, Bunny. To be loved by them. Well, at least I thought she loved me. But she didn't. It was lies. All that time, I was letting myself fall for her, and I did. I love her. But she never loved me. I was stupid to think she could."

Bunny hugged Jack's frail body to his furry torso. "Jack Frost you stop that talk right now, ya hear? Now, I ain't gonna let my best friend think that way. You are **not** invisible, okay? But you need help. This isn't you, Jack. It's been a year, and a hard one at that. You've spent it alone, but you don't have to anymore." The guilt inside Bunny grew, and he tried to push it away. He wanted to tell Jack the truth, he did, but he couldn't. Jack would just go storming after her, and give it all up. "I think that...she was fond of you, Jack. Heck, maybe she did love you. But she had her reasons for doing what she did, I'm sure."

"What justifies breaking a heart?"Jack said. He attempted to step back and swayed. He was feeling incredibly drained, and his head pounded.

"Look, mate. In life, people are always going to hurt you. And yeah it sucks, and you can feel like you're never going to see the light of another day." Bunnymund gave a small chuckle. "But you will. You're a Guardian, Jack. A weak one right now, but a Guardian nonetheless. That's something to be proud of."

Jack closed his eyes and tried to guess how much power he had left. What would use it up? Would he die if he did? Pass out at least. The outcome didn't bother him in the slightest. He just knew, in among all the confusion, that he had to sleep. He had to get away from it all, at least for a bit. He opened his eyes again and looked up. "Step back."

"What?" Bunny let go of his shoulders and crossed his arms.

"Bunny, please. Run to the tunnels, or step back. Just...get away from me right now."

"Jack, what are you planning?" Bunny took a step towards him, but froze when Jack pointed his staff at him. He saw the pleading look in Jack's eyes and nodded, stepping back. He ran to the nearest tunnel and hid, waiting in anticipation. Every instinct in his body was screaming for him to run and get Jack, but he wasn't sure how stable Jack was. He could snap in a second, and Bunny wasn't willing to test it. Jack closed his eyes and focused. He thought of Rose. He focused on his pain, her words, his anger, depression, self loathing and love for her. He brought it all to the surface, letting them all run through his veins, coursing into his staff. His breathing became rugged, and he felt himself lift his staff into the air. He channeled everything he had, all the emotions and power he could possibly muster inside him. Letting out a breath, he yelled and slammed his staff on the ground. Bunny raised a hand to cover his eyes at the white light emitting from Jack. He heard Jack scream, but before he could run to get him, an eruption of wind and ice raced towards him. It stretched out and covered all the Warren, coating everything in a white blanket. Icicles clung to everything, and he shivered as the wind stabbed at him, sending chills down his spine. When the light subsided, Bunny raised his head just in time to see Jack crumble to the ground.


End file.
